The Eyes of Alexandria
by kuhnishhhh
Summary: On the run since the age of 15 with a 200 million beli bounty, she was finally found by the Straw Hat Pirates 8 years later. Oblivious to her real identity, the Straw Hat Pirates allow her to hitch a ride with them. However, a single week long trip to a neighboring island may turn into something more as pieces of her past and the man she will destroy are revealed. ZoroOC.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own any of the One Piece characters. I own my character. So this story takes place a few months after the Arabasta arc and before Sky Island. Whether I will add Franky and Brooke into the crew is up to me but we will see as the story progresses (this isn't meant to follow what happens in the anime).

Chapter 1

**[8 years ago]**

"**I don't understand why this concept is so difficult for you to follow, Commodore," the deep voice boomed from the shadows.**

**The Commodore bowed his head apologetically and looked back up. "We will do our best to-"**

"**No." the voice cut him off. The man stepped into the light, his gaze unwavering. "Find her." He slammed down a familiar piece of paper on the table in front of him. The Commodore glanced at the paper and knew immediately that it was **_**her**_** wanted poster with a bounty of 200 million beli. **

**The Commodore kept a straight face as he continued to gaze down. He couldn't look at the admiral; there was no way he could NOT accomplish the task at hand. It was just that…how could he find a teenage girl in the ENTIRE Grand Line?! Unfortunately, backing down from a command was not an option and thus he replied, "Yes sir" as the admiral receded back within the shadows.**

* * *

"NAMI ARE WE THERE YET?!" the young man bellowed from the bow. He wore a red vest, denim shorts, sandals and his signature straw hat. "I'M SO HUNGRY!" he frowned with exaggeration.

"HOW CAN YOU BE HUNGRY WHEN YOU'VE EATEN ALL THE FOOD FROM THE FRIDGE 5 MINUTES AGO?!" the blonde man with the curly eyebrows screamed from the kitchen door. He wore a pink apron covering his black suit. _I'm glad the mid-day snacks for Robin-chan and Nami-swan have been prepared already and are chilling in the freezer! _He smiled secretly.

"We're almost there, Luffy!" the orange haired woman replied, exasperated. She wore a tank top, short skirt and gladiator sandals and glanced at the arrows on the Log Pose on her wrist. _We're right on track! _"Chopper, can you see anything?" She called to the little reindeer who was positioned at the crow's nest with a spyglass telescope in hand.

"Yes! I see land!" he jumped up and down excitedly, as did Luffy. As Luffy continued his jumping, he caused the ship to move up and down. This annoyed the long nosed pirate who was quietly creating new inventions in his room. He always wore his overalls and boots with a bandanna covering his curly black hair. He tinkered a few knobs and bolts with his goggles on, cursing at the captain under his breath.

"ZORO, WAKE UP! WE'RE ALMOST HERE!" Luffy excitedly announced to the snoring man on the deck. His moss green hair and dark skin were hard to miss as he snored aloud, sprawled out on deck next to three swords to his side attached to his green waistband. His white shirt, pants, and boots were his staple clothing. A few minutes later, he slowly opened his left and then right eye, and yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head. A dark green/black bandanna was tied around his left arm, his staple headwear during battle.

"We're here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and sat up, the three teardrop-shaped earrings dangling from his left ear. He looked forward and was somewhat relieved to be seeing the upcoming island. _I need some booze, _he thought.

"Nami," the woman with multiple hands wearing a purple cowboy hat asked Nami, "would you happen to know how long we will be staying on this next island based on the Log Pose?" Her blue eyes looked up from the pages of her latest textbook. She was seated on the deck by Zoro with a book in hand, or hands, as always.

"Sorry, Robin," Nami replied. "I won't know until we land. I'd have to ask one of the people there."

"Robin-chan! Nami-swan!" the cook called out to the women with hearts in his eyes. "Here's your mid-day snack, my loves." He danced out of the kitchen with a plate of fruits and yogurt assembled into a masterpiece as he presented them to the women.

"Thank you Sanji!" Nami smiled and accepted the fruit graciously into her mouth, "Delicious as always!"

_I can die happy now!_ Sanji thought as his heart beat wildly for the navigator. He made his way to Robin and placed the dessert on the table in front of her.

"For you, Robin-chan," he announced as he bowed his head.

"Oi, Sanji! Where's mine?!" Luffy asked him from the bow as he was seated on the head of the Going Merry. With his stomach rumbling, he stretched his arms to obtain Robin's snack. As he was about to snatch the snack, Sanji kicked his arms, which then retracted back to his rubber body.

"That's not for you! You ate the rest of the food from the fridge!" Sanji shouted, hitting his head.

"Ow!" Luffy frowned, rubbing the spot where Sanji hit him and went back to looking at the island appearing before him, smirking.

Robin giggled as she took the spoon and dug into the snack. She smiled. "You are an amazing cook, Sanji." Sanji could not believe the words that came out of her mouth as he began to twirl and dance on the deck.

"They love me so much…" he told himself as he continued to twirl and dance. Nami sighed and Robin simply giggled at the sight.

"Get a hold of yourself, dartboard." Zoro muttered, shutting his eyes again. Sanji immediately stopped his dance as his blood began to boil.

"What..did you call me? YOU MARIMO!" he retorted as the two started to fight. Nami slapped her forehead and sighed. _Please let us get to land soon…_

* * *

"Oh no…" the woman sighed, "I need to get back to that island!" she frowned as she walked around town. Her blonde waist length hair was placed to one side as she placed her hands on her hips. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked up at the sky. It was mid-day and the sun beat on her face as she continued her search. She was wearing a tank top with calf-length trousers which was held together by a sash. She wasn't like the other women on the island who wore heels or sandals. She wore sneakers since she needed to be comfortable and swift. The tank top reached her midriff, exposing a toned stomach.

She was at the previous island in order to get her weapon fixed which would take about a week due to its material and damage. She impatiently decided to do some sightseeing on the next island and planned to come back…she just didn't know how that would happen. _Damn it…I didn't think this far in advance…_ When she brought her weapon into the shop, she knew it would take two weeks so she had planned to stay in the next island for a week and then sail back, which normally took another swiftly ran around the bustling town with her backpack, asking anyone in sight when the next ship to Kura Island was sailing.

"I'm sorry… no ship is sailing there until next week." A man replied while rearranging his produce. _Shit!_ Even though the sights and shops were great, she had grown tired of the same things over and over again. _I'm wasting time here. I need to continue my journey._ She spent time exploring the rest of the island which turned out to be interesting for her as well. She admired the forests and little plants and flowers she encountered. She especially found the cliff near the northern part of the island to have a great view. However, vacation was over, and she needed to find a ship fast. She started at the docks near the eastern part of the island and began to ask around.

"Hi sir, I was wondering if you were sailing to Kura Island, preferably today?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm sorry young lady." She continued this interrogation down the line of ships that were docked with each one of them disappointing her. She cursed in her head as she decided to head back to town, oblivious to the pirate ship docking.

"Yosh! Land!" Luffy clapped as the Going Merry docked at the harbor. Zoro released the anchor and Sanji helped tie the sails as Luffy left the ship.

"Oi! Wait!" Zoro called out to the rubber man who had ran straight into town, screaming, 'Meat, meat, meat!'

"It's okay, Zoro," Nami told him, "he'll be fine. Do you think it's okay to dock our ship here?" Zoro shrugged. Nami noticed a young blonde woman with a frown on her face walking away. "Um…excuse me!" Nami called out. The woman turned around, her violet eyes meeting Nami's brown ones.

"Yes?" she replied, still a little depressed. She walked towards the ship and looked up at the Straw Hats. _I wonder what she wants. _

"I was wondering if it was okay to dock our ship here since we are pirates." Nami explained, "we just want to get supplies and stuff before we head back out to sea."

_Oh, pirates.._. She scanned the crew from left to right. She glanced at Nami followed by Robin, Zoro, Chopper, Usopp, and then Sanji. As she glanced at Sanji, she couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable due to his sudden dancing and twirling with what seemed to be hearts in his eyes. "Yeah it's fine. There have been pirates docking their ships here as well." She replied as she turned back around and started walking away.

"Alright, thanks!" Nami called out. "You heard that everyone! Let's get on land and get our stuff before we head out!" The crew complied and left the ship, walking towards the town.

_I need to find a ship that plans to leave today!_ She then remembered what Nami had said earlier: 'before we head back out to sea…' _THAT'S IT! _She stopped in her tracks and turned back around and ran towards them.

"H-hey!" she called out to them. They turned to her as she met them. "You guys said you were headed back out to sea, right?" Her violet eyes gazed at them.

"Yeah, we're going to go ahead to the next island." The long nosed man replied as he quickly examined the Going Merry before they left. "What's the matter?"

"I know it sounds crazy…but…I was wondering if I could tag along until the next island?" she spoke. "It's really important that I get there by next week!" She dropped her backpack and pulled out a map and showed Nami. "I went on a sightseeing trip while I was getting my weapon fixed, and I just can't find another ship that'll leave today. The place is called Kura Island which is the next island from here. The ship I was aboard on came from the opposite way." She explained as she traced the course of travel with her index finger.

"Absolutely." Sanji scurried towards her, presenting her a rose.

Nami bashed his skull as she replied, "You're not the one who makes the decision!"

"Luffy has just left and so we can ask him when we meet him in the town," Chopper informed. "I'm sure he will be okay with it!"

"Wow…a talking reindeer!" she exclaimed. "You're so cool!" The woman's violet eyes lit up with a smile on her face as she put the map back in her backpack.

Chopper blushed furiously, chuckling as he replied, "Saying I'm cool doesn't make me happy, asshole!"

_He definitely IS happy…_Usopp thought and sighed to himself.

"I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Elise." She addressed the crew in front of her. She picked up her backpack and began to walk with them to town.

"I'm Nami," the orange haired woman replied and began to introduce the rest of the crew, "that's Chopper," she pointed to the reindeer. "This is Robin," she pointed to the other woman who nodded. "Usopp is the one with the long nose and curly hair," she pointed to the crewmate all the way to the right. Sanji was still head over heels for Elise as he basically drooled right next to her. "Lover boy here is Sanji…" Nami shook her head, "…and this is Zoro." She pointed to an empty space where Zoro had been a few minutes earlier. "Ack! Where's Zoro?!"

"ZORO!" Usopp yelled to the figure heading west, farther away from the town the rest of the crew was headed towards. He brought him back to the group as they safely made it to the marketplace.

"This place is nice," Elise began, "however I got bored of it. It's perfect for stocking up and stuff."

"Excuse me," Nami asked one of the vendors. "Do you know how long it takes the Log Pose to adjust to the next island?" The vendor smiled and replied, "Only 4 hours dear. Now please buy a lemon!" Nami refused and left with vendor convincing her to come back.

"4 hours is short!" Chopper said aloud. "The Log Pose has had to adjust in a few days at other islands."

"This is the Grand Line…so nothing can really be predicted." Robin replied as she looked at some of the vendors. She noticed a sign with a book on the front and gladly headed towards it. "Chopper, would you like to come along to look inside this book store?"

"Of course! I need medical books!" the reindeer who was on all fours with his backpack and hat on, ran towards Robin. The two then disappeared into the store.

"Nami-swan, Elise-chan!" Sanji called to the ladies with Zoro and Usopp. "I will be here buying ingredients to stock our fridge!"

"Okay Sanji! We will meet you later!" Nami replied as Sanji sent a flying kiss to her, which Nami ignored. "I guess we should find Luffy."

"He's most likely at one of the restaurants. His love for food especially meat is incomparable." Zoro replied. He felt a stare and turned slightly, meeting vibrant violet eyes. He raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Is that your real hair color?" Elise pointed at his head. She began to braid her hair to one side as Zoro tried convincing her that it was real. "Uh huh.." she replied. _This woman.._ Zoro thought to himself as he followed the crew. He was in deep thought for most of the walk. Once he came back to reality, he suddenly ended up by a cliff overlooking the sea. _Shit…how did I get here?_

"We are the Straw Hat Pirates." Usopp introduced to Elise as they continued to walk straight towards the northern part of town.

"Yes, I've heard of your pirate crew. I've seen the bounties – very impressive especially of Monkey D. Luffy's." Elise replied.

"Eh? You have?" Nami asked her.

"Of course…the wanted posters come out by the News Coos and so I read the news papers and see the new wanted posters," Elise answered her. She had more than enough experience dealing with pirates however she kept her explanation to a minimum in order to avoid more explanation. "I really hope your captain allows me to tag along." _They're my only hope! _She told herself. There was a loud commotion coming from one of the restaurants which distracted Elise.

"There's Luffy." Usopp muttered and turned to Zoro. "Hey Zoro, why don't you-" Surprisingly enough, Zoro was not beside him. "We lost Zoro AGAIN! Nami, go meet with Luffy while I find Zoro!" Usopp ran swiftly back into the marketplace.

"Sorry about that," Nami apologized, "Zoro has a terrible sense of direction." She went into the restaurant with the loud ruckus with Elise following suit.

"It's not a problem. I gathered that tidbit of information since he strayed from the group twice." She laughed as she followed Nami. Her jaw dropped in amazement as she saw a tower of empty plates stacked high to ceiling with a large round guy eating drumsticks, ribs and other types of meat.

"Boy…this is… good," the boy managed to say as he stuffed his mouth with meat and rice. "more.." he told the waiter who was rushing to bring more entrees out to him. As he turned his head to the entrance of the restaurant, he saw his fellow crewmate and spat, "Nami! Come join me! The food's great here!"

Nami shrugged her head and took a seat next to Luffy. "Sit here, Elise," she motioned to the blonde who was still amazed at Luffy's eating capabilities, "we'll have to wait until he's done. So let's eat!"

* * *

**[8 years ago]**

"**Units 34 through 38 assemble!" the Commodore bellowed. In the Navy headquarters, marines from different wings ran to meet the Commodore with guns to their shoulders. 180 marines were lined up, ready to receive orders from the Commodore, their backs erect with rifles in hand. The Commodore showed the units the same wanted poster the admiral had shown him. "We are to find this girl at ALL costs. Find Asmara." **

"**Yes sir!" the marines bellowed in unison, determined to find Asmara. Commodore Lee spoke to one of the other commanders and captains present and explained the situation.**

"**I will be taking Units 34 to 38 along with me on my search. Take 80 marines with you as well and search for Asmara. I will start at Floreceria and I will be in touch." Commodore Lee spoke sternly to the other three captains and commanders who nodded in agreement to his instructions. His eyes were a dark gray as he solemnly swore to himself that he would find Asmara. And he would capture her for good.**

* * *

Usopp was running around town, trying to find sight of the green-haired swordsman. _Damn it…how does this guy get lost EVERY TIME?! _As he opened one of the shops, he met Robin and Chopper.

"Hi Usopp!" Chopper smiled, browsing through an aisle of medical textbooks.

"Oi, have you seen Zoro?" he asked them. Robin was looking through a few history and anthropology textbooks at the same time, thanks to her Devil Fruit abilities.

"I'm sorry Usopp," Robin replied as she flipped the page of the textbook on her left, "we have not seen him since the time we went into this store."

"Ah," Usopp sighed, "it's okay. Meet us at the restaurant a few blocks from here." He then left the store and continued his search. The anthropologist and doctor nodded as they continued their browsing.

Overlooking the view of the sea, Zoro sat against the trunk of a tree, enjoying the breeze as the sun was beating down on the town. _This feels nice. _He surveyed the horizon, eyeing the different shapes and sizes of the ships that have been docked. He then noticed a familiar group of ships with white sails moving towards the island. Their signature trademark of a seagull was etched on their sails. _Marines! _

"Excuse me, mademoiselle," Sanji smiled. "What is your freshest produce and catch?" The woman gladly offered different fish, fruit, and vegetables to Sanji as he picked and chose what he needed. He paid the woman and left pushing his wooden cart full of ingredients. As he continued his grocery shopping he met an exhausted Usopp.

"Have you…seen…Zoro…" he panted.

"Nope, haven't seen that natural treasure around. He got lost again, huh?" Sanji replied as he and Usopp walked together. "Why don't you try one of the forests over there? He's an idiot."

"Good idea…"Usopp replied, "we are at the restaurant a few blocks from here." He left the cook to his shopping as he began to run again towards the forest. After a bit, he finally found Zoro at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. "Oi! We've been looking for you!" Usopp shouted. _I'm gonna kill you…_

"Oh, there you are!" Zoro acknowledged him, his right hand on his swords. "Why'd you get lost?" Zoro said with a straight face. Usopp sighed and slapped his forehead. _It's you who is lost, Zoro…_

"Glad I found you. We're at the restaurant where Luffy is. Let's go." Usopp told him.

Zoro started as he walked with Usopp "We have to tell Luffy…". Usopp turned his head. "the Marines are coming to this island." Usopp nodded in agreement as they both made their way back to the restaurant.

"Ack!" Usopp gulped, his legs beginning to shake and tremble as he followed the swordsman. _I think I have caught the I-don't-want-to-meet-the-marines disease…_

* * *

Aboard the marine ship, Commodore Lee crossed his arms as he awaited the sight of the island. _She better be here, _he told himself. It had been a long 8 years ago as he searched for Asmara , the woman with a bounty of 200 million beli on her head. He had been threated by the admiral to capture the girl at all costs. Thus, his men began scouring every corner of the Grand Line. They had received no luck the past 8 years and were hoping to catch a break. He still remembered the admiral's threat 7 years ago…

"**It's been 1 year and we still haven't found her!" the Commodore shouted in his office. **_**What am I going to tell the admiral? We've searched everywhere on the Grand Line…I'm sure of it. **_

**Buruburuburu! The Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.**

"**Commodore Lee." He spoke into the receiver. The snail began to speak with the admiral's threatening voice. **

"**It's been a year, Commodore, and you have NOT found her yet. Search every island of this godforsaken place…every 15 year old girl. Search until you find her…no matter how long it takes…or else…" The Commodore gulped as the Den Den Mushi fell asleep. **

"We have approached the island. Landing in 5 minutes!" one of the marines announced, awakening Commodore Lee from his thoughts. The marines prepared themselves with rifles in hand as the anchor was dropped. They smoothly left the ship and made their way to town.

* * *

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted as they entered the restaurant. They saw the entire crew seated with Elise, enjoying their food and drink. Luffy was now on dessert and literally inhaled everything that was laid out in front of him. _How delicious! _Luffy thought to himself as he ordered more dessert. He turned to the sniper and swordsman.

"Oi." He waved at them and offered them a slice of cake.

"Marines are headed to this island." Zoro told him. He took the empty seat next to Nami's right side since Elise was to her left. He then began to drank the beer on the table. The rest of the crewmates looked alarmed. Elise froze mid-way through her glass of water. _The…marines…?!_

"Let them come!" Luffy smirked. "We'll kick their asses!" He punched his hand. The rest of the crew agreed that they would let Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji handle the Marines.

"Oi, Elise, are you okay?" Chopper noticed the blonde who was frozen stiff, still holding her glass of water. Usopp was trembling and shaking as he took his seat next to her. Nami, Robin and Sanji also looked at her with concerned expressions on their faces.

"I'm fine," she smiled, convincing them to not worry and enjoy their meals.

"Nami, has the Pose readjusted?" Robin asked, eating her sandwich. Nami explained that it would take 4 hours for the pose to readjust.

"One more hour!" she smiled as she finished her dinner. "Has everyone gotten what they needed from the island? We should leave in an hour!" Everyone nodded.

"Speaking of leaving…" Elise started, nervously. "I was wondering if I could tag along until your crew reached the next island.." she asked Luffy. Once he finished his pie and pastries, he looked at her with stern, dark eyes.

"Sure!" he exclaimed with a large grin. "We're having a new crew member!"

"Whoa, not a new crew member!" Elise corrected him. "Just take me to Kura Island and that's it!" As Elise tried to get Luffy to listen to her, the rest of the crew chatted happily, especially Sanji.

_Another pretty lady! _He thought to himself as he glanced at Elise sneakily while she argued with Luffy.

Suddenly the doors of the restaurant slammed open as marines poured into the restaurant. The restaurant became quiet as the guests who were dining shook in fear. The marines formed a line leading up to the owner as Commodore Lee entered through.

"Y-Yes, Commodore Lee!" the owner bowed, shaking in his shoes, "how may I help you?" Commodore Lee gave him a wanted poster.

"I'm looking for this girl…" he pointed at the face on the poster. "She should be 23 now and she has a 200 million beli bounty. Violet eyes and dark red hair. Admiral Akito is very insistent on her capture." Commodore Lee looked around the room suspiciously at every guest dining. _She may be here in this very room. _Elise's heart beat faster and faster as he began to look towards her. _Act like nothing is wrong. Act calm._ She told herself as she breathed calmly.

"You!" Commodore Lee's voice boomed. Elise quickly glared at him and clenched her fist, her muscles tense. She clenched her jaw as she thought, '_Damn it, I don't have my weapon!' _Zoro eyed the blonde suspiciously. _What is wrong with this woman? _He thought. He eyed the Commodore approaching Luffy and placed his hand on his swords. Commodore Lee looked at Luffy with sinister smile.

"What a surprise to see the Straw Hat Pirates here.." he cackled devilishly. Luffy stood up, prepared to fight. Sanji and Zoro stood up as well. "Ha ha ha ha! I'm not here for your heads today. I'm on a mission and so you have been spared." He examined each person at the table and stopped at Elise. She simply looked at him, expressionless.

"You're not a member of their crew." He commented. "Who are you?" Zoro examined her actions again which made him curious.

"I'm Elise Hamada," she began, "..and they are giving me a ride to one of the other islands near here." She released the tension in her muscles and sat back on the chair, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Commodore Lee examined her closely and noted her violet eyes. He threw a wanted poster on the table as he turned around and made his way back to the owner. "Let me know if you see this girl." One of the marines nailed the poster to the nearby wall as Commodore Lee and his crew exited the restaurant. Elise and Luffy continued to watch the marines, especially Commodore Lee, until they exited the restaurant.

Nami picked up the wanted poster that Commodore Lee threw on their table. "Hm, this is her huh?" she commented aloud. The rest of the crew took a look at the wanted poster to see what criminal looked like.

"She's a kid!" Usopp replied, scratching his head. "Ack! 200 million beli?!"

"Well, if you heard the commodore," Robin began, "the girl should be 23 right now. I guess they've been looking for her since she was young." _Just like me…_

"I can't see!" Chopper replied and quickly climbed up Zoro's leg and onto his head. "Her name is Asmara! What a pretty name!" Zoro looked at the photo: the young girl had a stern expression on her face with violet eyes and dark red hair. _Her eyes look the same as hers…_

"I wonder what she looks like now!" Sanji grinned widely.

"That guy's a jerk," Luffy frowned, remembering the commodore. "We'll kick their asses next time!" Most of the members agreed minus Usopp whose legs began to shake and tremble again.

"Well, I guess it's time to leave now?" Nami asked him. Luffy thought about it for a moment and nodded in acquiescence. She reluctantly paid the owner as she rolled up the wanted poster. Everyone began to leave the restaurant and head towards the ship. Elise felt a stare and turned to meet Zoro's suspicious eyes and responded with a glare, which caught him off guard, as she turned back to conversing with the rest of the crew.

"So what's on Kura Island?" Usopp asked. "Like, is it similar to this island?" Elise explained how Kura Island is an island known for their seafood and fruits. Many people visit the island to buy or eat the freshest ingredients. "Wait, so what are you going there for?" Usopp looked confused.

"Well, there is this awesome shop that repairs damaged weapons and it's one of the best on the Grand Line!" she exclaimed. "I go there all the time." Zoro seemed interested as he touched his swords. _They've been through lots of fights…maybe they should be fixed up too._ He looked at the three swords on his hip, considering the idea. The sun had begun to set as they made their way back to the ship.

"Welcome to the Going Merry!" Usopp proudly welcomed Elise as she got on the ship. Zoro pulled the anchor as everyone went to their assigned places: Zoro, Robin and Nami at the deck, Luffy at the bow, sitting on top of the sheep's head, and Sanji and Chopper at them helm, awaiting Nami's orders. Elise glanced at their jolly roger: a skull and crossbones with a straw hat.

"Feel free to take a look around, Elise," Nami warmly smiled. "You can sleep in the women's room on the right!" Elise smiled and thanked her as she went to the bottom deck to pick out a room. _I'm almost at Kura Island…I can't wait! _

She went into women's room which was down the stairs from the storage room. It was beautifully decorated with a lounge chair, desk, bookshelf and liquor bar. Elise placed her backpack on the lounge chair and relaxed her body. She stared at the wall across from her. _That Commodore Lee…_

While Elise was resting in the women's room, Nami directed Chopper and Sanji to steer to portside, following her Log Pose. Zoro made sure the sails were open before relaxing on the deck. It was now sunset as he waited for everyone to finish their duties before speaking.

"Guys…" he caught their attention. "I'm suspicious of that woman." The members looked confused as he said these words. Sanji was especially annoyed with him.

"What are you talking about, Zoro?" Usopp asked him. "She just needs us to take her to Kura Island."

"Yeah, you should relax," Nami replied, glancing at the Log Pose to make sure they were going in the right direction.

"Take a look at that wanted poster." Zoro told them. "They have the same eye color! I was watching her reaction when that commodore came over to us and talked to her. She looked like she was ready to fight. " He explained with a stern look on his face.

"WE were ready to fight! And people can have violet eyes!" Sanji shouted, defending the cute blonde woman. "You shitty swordsman!"

"I'm just saying that I don't trust her, ero cook! She's hiding something!" Zoro retorted, getting angrier by the minute, as he blocked Sanji's kicks.

"Hm…" Luffy expressed his opinion, deep in thought. "I think she's going to be our nakama!" He nodded as he sat in his special seat.

"If anything, we could always ask her about it," Robin suggested with a book in hand. Zoro seemed to agree with her suggestion. The crew members decided to drop the subject as they began to make their way to Kura Island.

At this time, Elise emerged from the bottom deck, looking for Nami. Sanji blew her a kiss as she passed him and she giggled nervously as she talked to navigator sitting at the dining table.

"Hi, Elise, what's up?" she asked, sipping a cup of tea Sanji had made.

"Hi, I was wondering where the bathroom is?" Elise asked her, placing her hair between her ears. Two earrings gleamed in the light from her piercings as she helped herself to some tea.

"Oh!" Nami stood up abruptly. "I never gave you a formal tour of the ship!" They left their empty teacups on the table as they went to the lower deck. When they disappeared, Sanji took their cups and lovingly kissed them.

* * *

"So that was the storage room and then down here is the women's room, which you found!" Nami explained. "In here," she pointed to the small opening in the right corner of the room which was locked, "is the entrance to the men's room." Elise inspected the opening and wondered why it was bolted shut so tightly.

Nami frowned as she remembered all the times Sanji tried to sneak into the room. "Anyway," she continued, dismissing the thought, "the shower is back upstairs in the storage room." The two ascended to the storage room towards the shower. They then ascended back up to the main deck. Nami pointed to the door near the mast and opened it. "This is the men's room below."

"Got it, thanks Nami." Elise replied. She passed by Zoro as she went back downstairs and felt his suspicious stare again. _Why is he giving me that look? _She ignored it as she went into the women's room and opened her backpack to get a change of clothes. She took a towel and then opened the door to the bathroom, beginning to prepare the shower. Once the water was warm, she removed her clothes. She took off her shoes, followed by socks, trousers, tank top and then undergarments.

"We're all good now. Thanks everyone!" Nami announced. Zoro yawned and stretched his back. _Shower time…_He descended down to the storage room to get a towel and headed straight to the bathroom. He was lost in thought, trying to figure out who Elise really was and what she was hiding. _If she was that nervous by Commodore…could she be…?!_ Due to his absentmindedness, he opened the door and was welcomed with a large amount of steam. As the steam cleared, he was able to see a figure in the room.

_Oh no…_Zoro thought as he was speechless. "Shit…" he muttered as his cheeks reddened at the sight before him when his eyes met her violet ones. In the middle of the room was Elise, naked, with dark red hair as the blonde wig fell to the wooden floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I do not own the characters of One Piece only my OCs. Thanks for the reviews so far!

Chapter 2

"Huh?" Elise innocently turned as she heard the bathroom door open, revealing Zoro at the doorway. As he opened the door, her blonde wig fell to the floor, exposing her dark red hair. Zoro's cheeks reddened as he saw her naked body.

"AHHHH! GET OUT!" The scream erupted throughout the entire ship, alarming all the members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Meanwhile in the bathroom, a rush of air caused Zoro to fly across the storage room and into the wall.

"What's happening?!" Usopp asked as popped his head from the men's room, looking at the other crew members on the deck.

"I have no idea…it's Elise though!" Nami replied as everyone descended the stairs towards the storage room. They saw Zoro on the floor with the destroyed storage room wall behind him.

"Oi, oi, you shitty swordsman…did you walk in to the bathroom while Elise was in there?!" he shouted, kicking him in the sides. Nami and Robin walked towards the bathroom and knocked on the door while Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper went to Zoro's side with Chopper examining for any bruises or wounds. Zoro sat up with his hand to his chest, confused. _What was that? It felt like a hand pushed me out of the doorway…_

"Elise," Robin started. "Are you okay?" Nami finished. The door opened to reveal the woman in a towel without her blonde wig. Sanji's nose bled at the sight of her in her towel. Her cheeks were red as she glared at Zoro, confirming Sanji's theory. She stared into his eyes, embarrassed at his actions, and then slammed the door furiously.

Everyone was still quite in shock by the new turn of events: Zoro's peeping activities and Elise's dark red hair.

"Dark red hair…" Usopp stammered, his legs shaking.

"Oi, didn't that Commodore say the wanted criminal had violet eyes and dark red hair?" Robin spoke up. "I think Zoro's theory may have been correct."

"I can't believe you did that!" Sanji furiously kicked Zoro in the sides. _That body though…_he thought as his nose bled once more.

Zoro was unaffected by Sanji's kicks and managed to block them as he sat up. "I told you so." Nami looked scared as she began to piece some things together.

"What happened to you anyway, Zoro?" Chopper asked, still inspecting for wounds and bruising. Zoro looked at him and then tried to remember.

"I don't actually know." He replied with a serious tone. "I saw her and she screamed. Then this rush of air pushed me into the wall." His hand touched his chest once more.

"Maybe a draft? It probably was steamy in the room and then you did open the door." Usopp suggested, starting to fix the wall with his hammer and nails.

"No, I don't think so," Zoro told him as he began to ascend to deck with his towel in hand. "That woman is weird…that's all I have to say. And she has a lot of explaining to do." Then he disappeared.

"Luffy, what should we do…" she asked the captain who was deep in thought. Luffy did not answer at first but simply nodded and left the other members in the storage room.

Inside the bathroom, Elise submerged herself in the hot water, embarrassed. Zoro had seen her naked and taking off her wig. Remembering the way he looked at her and her body made entire body burn up and she tried to forget about. _Shit, now they know about my red hair too. Which means they'll figure it out. _She placed her hand over the large shaped scar in between her breasts. She stared at the tub water as the steam continued to fill the room.

**[8 years ago]**

**The marines surrounded her tiny ship, weapons aimed directly at her. Commodore Louis crossed his arms across his chest, smirking as he counted down to fire. She shut her eyes and focused on the air around her. **

"**Fire!" Commodore Louis shouted as cannons and guns were fired directly at her and her tiny ship. She swiped the air in front of her with her right hand once the cannonballs and bullets had been fired. In that instant, the cannonballs and bullets that had been fired ceased to move and fell into the sea before reaching her ship. **

"**What happened?" one of the marines asked. "Commodore!" they called out to the Commodore Louis. He did not know what had happened but it was unsettling for him. The woman smirked as she focused again but this time with her eyes opened, staring directly into the widened and fearful eyes of Commodore Louis. The pressure in the surrounding air decreased substantially, causing most of the marines to lose oxygen. They started breathing rapidly, desperate for air.**

"**I..I can't breathe!" they all complained. She continued the decrease until their bodies could not handle the oxygen depletion. Their bodies began to decay as their circulation slowed down to a stop and dropped to the floor, motionless. Her violet eyes continued to stare into Commodore Louis' until his motionless body dropped to the floor with his hands around his neck and his eyes filled with fear. **

"Damn it…" Elise said aloud. "It wasn't my fault that happened. They wouldn't leave me alone…I was just trying to find _him…" _She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her forehead on them.

* * *

"You saw her naked, Peeping Marimo!" Sanji grabbed hold of Zoro's white shirt and shook him. His blood boiled as he stared at the swordsman's flushed face. _I can't believe he did! I should've gone instead of him! _

Zoro felt his cheeks burn up again suppressed the feeling as best as he could. He was definitely embarrassed for opening the door, but it was an accident. He wasn't paying attention…and the door was unlocked…so he didn't think anyone was in there. _I knew she was hiding something. _He felt better about himself for figuring out who she really was. He fought back with Sanji, blocking his kicks.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" he retorted, drawing his sword. He had enough of him and continued fighting back. He didn't know why he was always picking a fight with the cook but he didn't care. He just had enough and there were more important things than seeing a naked woman at the moment.

"If I could have seen her beautiful body…" Sanji stopped kicking for a moment and began to imagine Elise's naked body, "My life would be complete. She is my All Blue!" he danced happily again with hearts in his eyes.

"There are more important things right now, ero cook!" Zoro exclaimed furiously.

"Guys," Luffy seriously spoke to them, jumping off of his special seat. He made his way to where everyone had basically congregated. "I have something serious to say." Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened intently to his words.

"SANJI I'M HUNGRYYYYYYYYYY~" His tongue dropped from his mouth as he slouched on the floor. The crew members bashed his head in, one at a time.

"This is not the time for that!" Usopp shouted.

"We just discovered that Elise has red hair." Nami told him. She pulled out the wanted poster she had received from Commodore Lee to compare the photo to Elise. _It does look like her…_She noted. "As..ma…ra…" she sounded out the name.

"She was probably keeping it a secret so she wouldn't endanger anyone," Robin spoke up as she drank a cup of coffee. "It's understandable and it's not like she could trust a bunch of pirates she had met within a few hours."

"I guess so..." Nami agreed.

"Yeah, but still…" Chopper replied sitting near the mast, "without her blonde hair, you can tell it's her from the wanted poster. She definitely wanted to avoid the Marines at all cost."

"Her eyes though," Robin replied to Chopper's comment. "It's not very common to find a person with violet eyes. I'm impressed she was able to avoid the Marines for a long time based on her features." Robin returned to reading her book.

Zoro was seated on the floor next to the deck with his three swords on his right hip as he felt the "hand" on his chest from before.

"Oi Zoro, you ok?" Usopp called over to him as he looked up at the darkening sky.

"Yeah, fine." He muttered as he told himself to stop thinking about it. _It was nothing. I'm imagining things._ During this entire conversation, Sanji had whipped up a large feast for the crew from the ingredients he had bought at the marketplace. He took the food out and set it on the deck for everyone to enjoy, especially the women. Noticing that Elise was not present, he descended to the storage room to make sure everything was okay. When he approached the bathroom door, he knocked first. There was no reply and so he opened the door, which revealed an empty bathroom.

"Hm…women's room?" he asked himself, as he made his way to the room. He could barely control his excitement at the thought of Elise and himself alone in the room.

"Elise-chan?" he called out before peeking his head in the room.

"Hey," Elise called back to him as she was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She had changed into dark blue long pants and a white t-shirt and placed her hands on her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling.

"I've made some food, Elise-chan." Sanji told her, "It's upstairs on the deck."

Elise shifted her gaze from the wooden ceiling to him and shook her head. "I'm okay but thank you very much." She replied as her gaze returned to the ceiling.

"Ah okay, well is there anything I can help you with?" he smiled with hearts in his eyes. Elise smiled slightly and simply asked for a coffee. "Hai, Elise-chan!" he called out, rushing out of the room and back into the kitchen to prepare the coffee.

As Sanji ascended and returned back to the kitchen, Elise continued her activity of staring at the ceiling. She was reminiscing of her childhood and terrible past. It was disheartening for her but the thought of the future, especially her freedom, eased her anxiety. Her once tense back muscles relaxed and sunk into the couch mattress as she began to get comfortable. The voices of two women became louder by the minute. Nami and Robin appeared as they descended down the stairs. Elise's violet eyes met theirs, and they immediately stopped their conversation.

"Elise, are you okay?" Nami asked worriedly, walking to the edge of the couch. "I'm sorry for what Zoro did." _He's so stupid…_Elise didn't know how to respond. She just continued lying on the bed. She wasn't sure if she should open up or shut them out. They were PIRATES after all…and pirates were known to be dishonest. At least all the ones she's met before the Straw Hats. Elise realized there was no point of opening up – she would travel with them for a week and they would separate ways, never seeing each other again. There was no point in creating something that would not last.

"I'm okay," Elise simply replied. She sat up, criss-crossing her legs.

"You don't have to tell us anything," Robin commented, also approaching the end of the couch. "But if you need to talk, we're here." She then smiled.

"Yeah, what Robin said is true. You can trust us – we have bounties too. There's no way we could betray ya!" Nami assured her. Elise DEFINITELY appreciated their words and had never mte THESE kind of pirates before.

_They're something else…_she thought. Elise stood up and began walking up the steps. "Sanji is making coffee so I'll be in the kitchen."

"Ah, okay. We'll get dressed for bed, and I'll come up for a cup." Robin replied as Nami took out her memo book and began writing her entries of the recent events that had occurred within the last couple of days. Elise nodded and disappeared.

* * *

Sanji prepared two cups on the kitchen table with matching saucers. He then began to make the coffee. "Robin-chan is sure to want a cup also!" he grinned with a cigarette in his mouth. As the water began to boil, he added it to the coffee grounds to extract the flavor.

"Hi there," Elise spoke, appearing at the doorway behind him. Sanji turned around slowly, with hearts in his eyes and love in his heart.

"ELISE-CHAN! YOU CAME! I JUST PREPARED YOUR COFFEE!" he excitedly said. Elise thanked him and took sip from the cup he offered her.

She sat at the kitchen table and smiled. "It's good." Sanji beamed. Elise looked around the room and noticed the pile of dishes in the sink with soapy water. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked the cook.

"Absolutely not! A lady should never do dirty work. EVER!" Sanji refused her help. Elise didn't understand why and pressed on.

"Well, I can dry those dishes." She insisted. She had now gotten closer to Sanji who was at the edge of the table.

"No, Elise-chan! Just let me—" Sanji tried to reject her once more but immediately stopped mid-sentence as Elise approached him and touched his hand. Sanji's pale face turned cherry red as he blushed furiously. _I'll never wash this hand!_ He thought, continuing to blush. Elise quickly took the clean rag on his shoulder and chuckled slightly. She helped him dry the dishes then. Sanji continued blushing as he stood next to her with her hands waiting to receive and dry the clean dishes. She barely reached his shoulders as they cleaned and dried in silence – a silence, which comforted Elise but disturbed Sanji. He continued to blush as his mind decided to remind him of what Elise looked like in a towel.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Sanji panicked as he began to feel blood trickle down his nose. He quickly turned away from her and grabbed a tissue to stop the bleeding.

"Thanks again for the coffee," Elise spoke up from the silence. "And please stop thinking of me in a towel."

"S-sorry, Elise-chan!" he apologized, embarrassed…but not really.

Elise sighed and reassured him that it wasn't his fault. "It's that guy's…" she began to feel uncomfortable again.

"I'm sorry Elise-chan. He's an idiot." Sanji told her, continuing the dishes. _Stupid marimo! _

"It's embarrassing on all different levels." Elise replied as she took the pot from him and dried it with the clean towel.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"Yeah, I guess." She wasn't convinced. She took a moment to drink more coffee from her cup. "He saw me naked and also saw me take off my wig." She primarily didn't want anyone to see that horrendous scar in between her breasts. It served as a reminder that she was weak and would never beat HIM. Elise clenched her towel-covered fists. Meanwhile, Sanji imagined her naked body again and both his nostrils began to bleed.

"I-I'm sorry Elise-chan!" he apologized again, shoving more tissues up his nose as Elise became slightly annoyed. She was expressionless as she continued drying.

They finished the dishes and put them away successfully without any problems. Elise was still a little irritated but not as much as before.

"Listen," Sanji placed a hand on her shoulder, blushing. "You don't need to be afraid of us. We aren't reporting your location to the Marines. We're bringing you to Kura Island like you requested. Trust us."

"Hm, trust you say…" were the only words Elise could mutter. She finished the coffee in her cup, washed and dried it, and gave it to Sanji. "Good night and thanks again, Sanji." She turned away and began to walk back to the women's room. Sanji lit his cigarette and puffed it a few times as he watched her descend into the shadows.

"Thank you for preparing the coffee, Sanji." Robin spoke as she came through the doorway after Elise had left.

"Robin-chwan! Here you go!" He happily poured her a cup as she sat at the kitchen table with a book in his hand.

"I'm sorry for not coming earlier. You and Elise seemed to be deep in conversation and I didn't want to disturb that." Robin sipped her beverage and opened her book.

"It's okay Robin-chwan!" Sanji still smiled happily with hearts in his eyes. He then seriously stated, "She is an interesting one."

"Mhm, she sure is. I'd personally like to know more," Robin looked out past the doorway, deep in thought.

* * *

The next day, Elise was awakened by a large thud, which knocked the Going Merry back and forth. The impact sent her falling off the couch and knocking into the liquor bar.

"Damn it! What the hell was that?!" she rubbed her head and quickly ran up the stairs onto the front deck.

"SANJI, MAKE THIS FOR DINNER!" Luffy shouted as he faced the large monstrosities in front of him.

"Damn straight." Sanji replied, his cigarette in his mouth. Sanji and Luffy battled two large sea monsters. Sanji kicked the monster, which looked like a large dragon while Luffy punched one which resembled a sea serpent.

"Mutton Shot!"

"Rubber Rubber Pistol!"

"What's happening?" Elise asked as she stared at the sight before her. Luffy punched and Sanji kicked their respective monsters into the water. Unfortunately, they rose up from the depths of the sea, growling. Usopp and Chopper had hid in the helm while Nami and Robin watched the battle from the deck.

"Ah, good morning, Elise!" Nami turned to greet her. "These sea monsters attacked our ship a few moments ago and we figured it would be a great meal for lunch and dinner!"

"Let's just watch them. No need to exert any effort, right?" Robin smiled. Elise could not believe how large the sea monsters were. The serpent was especially large since its body wrapped around the ship. Zoro yawned loudly and stood up from his nap.

"A fight?" he said as he unsheathed his sword, preparing himself. However, Sanji and Luffy seemed to manage well without him. Elise also watched the fight from the deck near Robin and Zoro. Unbeknownst to her, the tail of the serpent crept behind her silently and smashed against her swfitly, causing her to go flying across the deck.

"Elise!" Nami shouted as all were taken by surprise especially Elise herself. She had blocked the full impact however it still managed to her send her overboard and into the sea. _Oh shit…_ were her only thoughts as the cold water surrounded her entire body and pulled her to the bottom.

Robin had tried to catch her with her multiple arms but she was too late. Sanji had called out and tried to reach her but the dragon sea monster would not let him out of its sight.

"Elise!" Usopp and Chopper called. _I want to save her, but I'll drown because I've eaten a Devil Fruit._ Chopper told himself. He turned to Usopp who looked determined to save her but was trembling convulsively from head to toe.

"You think she can swim?" Nami asked the group, trying to steady the ship and navigate. No one knew the answer to that. _I'm sure she can swim. _She thought to herself as she looked at the surface of where Elise fell. Air bubbles reached the surface and popped but there was no sign of the red haired girl. Nami began to worry and was ready to jump off the ship however, in a split second, Zoro dove into the blue sea, searching for Elise. He looked around but couldn't find her. Swimming deeper, he managed to locate and follow the air bubbles reaching the surface. He swam approximately 500 feet deeper and found the girl who was surrounded by her long red hair. Her eyes were shut and she still continued to sink. Zoro took her arm and pulled her close to him, holding her with one arm as he swam up to the top. As he broke through the surface of the water, he caught his breath, desperate for air. The crew members brought Zoro and Elise's limp body back on board the ship.

"Elise-chan!" Sanji yelled. He had killed the dragon sea monster during Zoro's rescue and the same applied for Luffy. The bodies of the creatures were motionless on the deck.

Chopper examined Elise. _Pale and cold skin…blue lips…_ "Nami! Help me remove the water from her lungs!" The two pushed her chest to remove the water.

"No, Elise-chan! Don't die!" Sanji wailed back and forth. His eyes began to tear up. Zoro moved slightly away from the group as he gave space for Elise. He took off his white shirt and rung it to remove the water. In a few moments, Elise spat water out and coughed furiously. She also desperately caught her breath, rolling from her back to her side.

"Thank goodness!" Nami smiled in relief as she and Chopper high-fived.

"Elise-chan! You're back! I missed you!" Sanji smiled tearfully. Robin, Usopp, and Luffy's worried expressions transformed into joyous ones.

Elise coughed and opened her eyes. "Thank you…You saved my life …" she sat up. She noticed Sanji's eyes travel down to her chest as she realized she wore a white t-shirt. Before she could cover her chest, Nami had punched him, knocking him out. Elise addressed her gratitude to the entire team because she didn't know who really had saved her. All she could remember was a strong arm around her that kept her safe and secure.

"Ha ha ha! This was all the great idea of Captain Usopp! Good job everyone!" Usopp bragged. He pointed at the unconscious Sanji and hyper Luffy. "Good job Sanji and Luffy for fetching lunch and dinner," he then pointed to Zoro, "and good job Zoro for saving our guest, Elise." Elise's violet eyes widened as she heard what Usopp had just said. _Zoro saved me? Why? _Her lilac eyes traced his movements as he hung his shirt to dry and rested his back against the mast. He stared directly at her, meeting her eyes and then shut them, taking a nap. What caught her eye was the large and long diagonal scar running across his muscular chest as he snored.

"Rest up a bit, Elise," Chopper advised her as he transformed into his Heavy Point form. He helped her up and brought her into the women's room and then suddenly transformed back again into his smaller form. Nami and Robin brought water and blankets as Elise followed what was instructed of her.

"Feeling better?" Robin asked, smiling.

"Yeah, thanks again, guys. I've been a burden ever since I've been on board," Elise apologized.

"No way! This is like an every day thing!" Nami reassured her as she started up the steps. "Don't be worried. You're fine!"

"Thank you." Was all Elise could say as she rested on the couch with Chopper at her side.

"Thank you Robin. I'll watch her right now." Chopper told the archaeologist as she also ascended up the stairs, nodding to him.

* * *

Sanji started to cut up the dragon sea monster into small pieces and realized the creature's meat was more than plenty for the crew. _What am I going to do with the other one? A snack? _Without much thinking, he cut both creatures up and decided to make a snack for everyone since it was around 11 am in the morning.

A News Coo from above dropped a newspaper onto the deck and flew off into the distance. Intrigued, Nami retrieved and opened it up. "Everyone, it's the newspaper!"

"Anything new?" Usopp asked as he continued repairing the storage room's wall. He used a few planks to patch things up, using a lot of nails.

"Hm…" Nami flipped through the pages. "Nothing real-" she was cut off mid sentence by the headline of one of the articles: 8 Years Later and Criminal Still Missing. The article featured the wanted poster of Asmara and her 200 million beli bounty. Zoro had woken up now and overheard the conversation as he continued to shut his eyes, enjoying the sun and the breeze while Sanji continued his meat chopping.

"Everything okay?" Robin asked, looking at the page. "Oh…"

"Guys!" she read aloud the article title. "It's about Elise…" A few wanted posters slipped from the back pages of the newspaper and fell onto the deck. Sprawled on the deck, Usopp and Luffy managed to see Elise's wanted poster.

"Oi! Her bounty has increased!" Usopp picked up the poster. It was the same young picture of her however 200 million had changed to 300 million. _300 million…?! _Usopp shook with that thought.

"Awesome!" Luffy smiled with stars in his eyes as he stretched his arms to make his way back to his special seat.

"I'm fine Chopper! Seriously, I feel great!" Elise insisted as she climbed up the stairs with the reindeer clutching her right leg.

"You're not better yet!" he insisted.

"I am!" she insisted again, trying to shake him off her leg. Everyone looked at them. Elise noticed Nami with the newspaper. "Oh, the News Coo came and delivered the paper? Let me check it out." she took the paper from her as she began to browse through it. Elise spotted the article as well, her sour expression noticed by the rest of the crew.

_8 Years Later and Criminal Still Missing. Under the command of Admiral Akito and Commodore Lee, the search for criminal, Asmara of Floreceria_, _is still continuing due to the deaths of Commodore Louis and the 360 marines under his command. At the age of 15, she had the bounty of 200,000,000 beli due to the death of two Navy Vice-Admirals. Navy HQ has increased her bounty to 300,000,000 beli as of this morning. There still has been no reported sightings of the criminal. _

Elise grasped the newspaper tightly after finishing the article and then gave it back to Nami. "…Where's the poster?" she asked aloud. She was emotionless and her face was stern. Usopp handed her the poster, shaking slightly and jumped back as she took it from him. She stared at it and the bounty and then tossed it aside. Slightly embarrassed by the article, she descended into the women's room and sat back on the couch with Chopper still grasping her leg.

* * *

"What should we do?" Nami frowned, picking up the wanted poster and placing it with the newspaper.

"Nothing, Nami-san," Sanji replied. "There's nothing we or she can do now." As Zoro overheard everything again, he began to become interested in Elise. What did she do to get that wanted poster and that bounty? She certainly wasn't a pirate. She was definitely more than what had met his eyes and his interest and attention were definitely piqued.

"Oi! Snack time!" Sanji called out from the kitchen as the crew scrambled into the dining table. Chopper had left Elise after she had wanted some time alone and had joined the crew at the table. Elise was missing, once again.

"Nami-swan, Robin-chan! Please take my special kebobs for you!" Sanji swooned over the women. He then came down to call Elise up as well. Elise did not want to have any human contact at that moment but she decided to stop acting immature and managed to ascend up the stairs. The crew made room for her as she sat next to Nami and Robin. She gingerly took Sanji's kebob and ate it.

"Glad you came to join us this time, Elise." Nami smiled, eating rice and the grilled Sea King meat. Elise smiled slightly, feeling slightly better. She enjoyed the different behaviors of the crew from Luffy to even Zoro and Sanji.

"Elise, are you gonna eat that?" Luffy asked as his rubber arms began to approach her food. Sanji kicked him immediately.

"You can have it," Elise told him since she was full from the kebobs and rice.

"So, Elise, why are you a criminal?" Luffy asked nonchalantly, taking her portion and shoving it down his mouth. The rest of the crew members froze as they could not believe how Luffy asked her.

_Luffy you idiot…_Sanji thought and clenched his teeth.

_I..can't believe he just asked that! _Nami's jaw dropped.

_Luffy! No! _Usopp gulped, quickly glancing to his right to see her expression.

_Heh…now I get to know how she got her bounty. _Zoro smirked with a Sea King steak in his mouth. Luffy continued to eat, now eating the other crew members' portions.

"Well…" Elise started slowly, "I was chased by the marines when I was young and I told them to leave me alone and to stop. They didn't stop so I had to stop them myself." She explained thoroughly. " I was searching for someone and the marines were in my way. They just don't know when to give up." She didn't like the thought of explaining this, but she owed it to the Straw Hats who generously offered their ship to help her arrive at Kura Island as well as helped save her life. This was the least she could do – answer their questions.

"Well…who cares if you killed them." Luffy stated, taking Sanji's steak. "I'm sure there was a good reason. You're still a cool person and my friend." Elise's eyes widened in shock as she heard that word: friend. _Friend? Me? _ She asked herself.

"You don't even know me well enough to be my friend." Elise retorted, confused and shocked.

"I know that you're a good person and that's all that matters." Elise was amazed at his genuine answer. He was definitely NOT like all the pirates she had met before. Elise smiled slightly, touched by his words.

"The least I can do for you is answer the questions you have for me. I'm sure I have a lot of explaining to do, but I believe I can trust you all. After all, you saved my life and are helping me reach Kura Island." Elise decided to give in and answer the their questions not because she wanted to open up, but because they deserve to know who they were helping and transporting on their ship.

"Well, I have one." Nami spoke up after the shock of Luffy's nonchalant question. "Do we call you Asmara or Elise?"

"Ha ha," Elise laughed a bit. "Either or. My real name is Hanson Elise Asmara. Elise is my middle name so I'd prefer Asmara. " She drank her water and proceeded to cross her legs, relaxing a bit more. They finished up the "snack" Sanji made with the extra meat and took the interrogations outside on the deck, similar to Robin's interrogation after Arabasta.

Usopp sat across from Elise, the fold up table in between the two of them. She was calm and collected, taking a sip of water from her cup. She crossed her legs and waited for his interrogation to begin. _What is this? _She asked herself, finding the situation to be pretty humorous. Usopp furrowed his eyebrows as he began his interrogation while everyone else sat around.

"Full name?" He folded his arms in front of his chest. He decided to question her since he did the same for Robin. Plus she was featured in the newspaper with a 100 million beli increase. He didn't know what she was capable of nor did he knowhow much of a danger she was. He was simply taking precautions. She smiled at him, feeling more comfortable than previous days.

"Hanson Elise Asmara."

"Age?"

"23."

"Birthplace?"

"Floreceria." Usopp suspiciously looked at her.

"Height?"

"5 feet."

"Birthdate?"

"April 14th."

"Occupation?"

"Um, what do you mean? Like at the moment?" she looked confused.

"What's your job?"

"I don't have one. I WAS a florist thought before I left on my journey." Elise added. She started to braid her hair to prevent herself from boredom.

"Are you a Devil Fruit user?"

"…is this necessary?" She asked him, looking a little irritated. She looked at the others who simply shrugged. Usopp repeated his question again.

"I'm getting my weapon fixed – why would I need a weapon if I had Devil Fruit abilities?" she glared at him, intimidating him. However, he continued his interrogation.

"Weapon?"

"Steel fan." Zoro did not know why Usopp was doing this AGAIN and the questions and answers given were uninteresting to him.

"What are your measurements?!" Sanji called out with hearts in his eyes. He clearly was interested in her waist, hip, and chest ratio which caused Nami to bash his head in.

"Are we done here?" Elise asked Usopp. He was tapping his fingers on the table during the interrogation process.

"Usopp, she seems okayyyy…" Luffy insisted rolling on the wooden deck.

"Last one." Usopp said. "Why did you kill those marines 8 years ago?" Elise froze as he delivered his final question, her eyes narrowing. Everyone else's eyes widened in shock at his bravery for asking that question – even Zoro opened his eyes, interested in her response. Elise clenched her fist and shut her eyes. That incident would always be embedded in her memories.

"Kill or be killed." Asmara replied, her violet eyes void of any emotion.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I do not own any of the characters of One Piece only my OCs. Thanks for the support, everyone!

Chapter 3

**[8 years ago]**

"**Commodore Louis, there she is, on that ship!" one of the marines yelled as he saw her enlarged figure through the spyglass telescope. Commodore Louis emerged from his quarters to check for himself. He pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his jacket pocket.**

"**Surround her." He commanded to the three other ships sailing behind him. The ships followed his command, speeding past Commodore Louis' main ship in order to surround her. **

"**Damn it…" she cursed under her breath. Her ship had already been sailing at full speed however navy ships were always just faster. She was in deep shit now, and there was no way she was going to use IT to escape. Within moments, the three navy ships, including the one Commodore Louis rode, had surrounded her. **

"**Asmara! You are under arrest for the death of Navy Vice Admirals Smith and LeCroix!" Commodore Louis spoke aloud. His ship was right in front of her, 1000 feet away. Cannons were already positioned from all the ships and were ready to be fired. "Turn yourself in now!"**

**From the helm emerged Elise. Her expression showed no signs of mercy as she was determined to escape. "All I want to do is find HIM!" she yelled from the bow. "Your marines NOT listen to me!"**

"**Who would listen to someone like you, trash!" a marine spoke out loud from the ship. Elise glared at the man who insulted her. Her violet eyes were cold and unforgiving. **

"**They were persistent on my capture and wouldn't let me through. I don't even know why they wanted to capture me…tell me Commodore…why?!" Her eyes narrowed.**

"**I do not need to answer that." He replied, his glare equally cold and unforgiving as hers. He was instructed by Admiral Akito to pursue the woman, no questions asked. "In the name of justice, you will fall to us!" He raised his right arm high in the air. Elise quickly pulled out her steel fan, ready to fight and escape. **_**Why won't they tell me? **_**She asked herself.**

"**CANNONS, FIRE!"He roared. All the cannons surrounding her shot the cannonballs straight at her ship. With one wave of her fan, a large rush of air caused the cannonballs to crash into each other, falling into the sea. Elise quickly darted to the stern, jumping in the air. As the cannonballs behind her were fired, she jumped onto each ball, folding her fan. Clutching the fan in her hands, she slammed her fist with the head of the fan onto the cannonball, causing it to crumble and explode. The marines were astonished at the sight, especially Commodore Louis.**

"**Commodore," one of the captains from the other ship spoke into the Den Den Mushi. "Our cannonballs didn't work!"**

"**Shit…is she a Devil Fruit user?" he asked, aloud, hanging up the snail phone. "RIFLES, FIRE!" Louis signaled the next round. Elise managed to rid the cannonballs again as well as blocking the bullets by the swipe of her fan. **

"**Let me pass, Commodore and no one will be hurt." Elise shouted at him from the ship. She didn't want to hurt anyone. Those vice admirals would NOT stop, and so she was left with no choice but to stop them…permanently. Commodore Louis held up his arm again, ceasing fire.**

"**We will never allow you to pass!" he replied. "Because of the deaths of Alexander Smith and Frances LeCroix, YOU ARE SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT AND EXECUTION IN IMPEL DOWN!" Elise's eyes widened in shock and surprise. She could not believe what she had just heard.**

"**I have to get out of here," she told herself as she tried to think of an escape route. She was entirely lost in her thought that she didn't notice the bullets that had been fired. As she came to her senses, it had already been too late. The bullets hit her body but what shocked the Marines was what occurred after. The bullets pierced her body, but the bullet holes appeared transparent.**

"**What the-?" one of the marines, who shot her, cussed in disbelief. **

"**She is a Devil Fruit user!" Commodore Louis bellowed. **

"**Let me pass!" she yelled again. **

"**You're not escaping, trash!" the same marine who insulted her before did so again. She started to become annoyed and angry. She did not need this hindrance, and she was not ready to be sent to prison. She HAD to find him. Find him and have her revenge on what HE did to HER. That was her sole purpose in life. **

"**Let…me…go…" she said once more. Commodore Louis held his arm again. She shut her eyes and focused on the air around her. **

"**Do not cease fire this time, men!" Commodore Louis shouted as cannons and guns were fired directly at her and her ship. **

**The barrage of cannonballs and bullets rained on Elise, which continued to anger her. She swiped the air in front of her with her right hand once the cannonballs and bullets had been fired. In that instant, the cannonballs and bullets ceased to move and fell into the sea before reaching her ship. **

"**What happened?" one of the marines asked. "Commodore!" they called out to the Commodore Louis.**

**He did not know what had happened but it was unsettling for him. The woman smirked as she focused again but this time with her eyes opened, staring directly into the widened and fearful eyes of Commodore Louis. The pressure in the surrounding air decreased substantially, causing most of the marines to lose oxygen. They started breathing rapidly, desperate for air.**

"**I…I can't breathe!" they all complained. She continued the decrease until their bodies could not handle the oxygen depletion. Their bodies began to decay as their circulation slowed down to a stop and dropped to the floor, motionless. Her violet eyes continued to stare into Commodore Louis' until his motionless body dropped to the floor with his hands around his neck and his eyes filled with fear.**

* * *

Asmara stared at the cloudless blue sky as a light breeze ran through her dark red hair. The surroundings of the Going Merry were entirely blue since they were in the middle of the ocean as the ship continued its course to Kura Island. The Straw Hat Pirates lounged about during this time. It was mid afternoon, and Asmara had passed Usopp's interrogations. Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper pulled out their fishing poles, trying to catch some sea creatures even though there was still more meat to last the crew another day or two. Nami had receded back into the women's room to continue adding entries into her memo book as well as continuing her drawing of the map of the world. Sanji had started his food preparation for dinner while Zoro lifted barbells six times his size. It was Robin who shared the table with her. She felt bad that she couldn't be more open with them when they have been more than hospitable and friendly. She was simply protecting them from her past and ultimately, herself.

"Asmara," Robin started as she flipped the page of her textbook. "You look troubled." Her azure eyes glanced up from the page. Asmara answered her call with a silent acknowledgement with the slight turn of her head towards her. Robin returned her attention to her book, reading the same paragraph over while waiting for her reply.

"…I'm sorry." Asmara apologized, looking at her. "I'm not used to people being nice to me. Especially pirates." Her red hair covered her upper half as she lifted up her legs on the chair.

"Understandable, but it's true – we are willing to help people." Robin replied. "Luffy's one of the best and most genuine people." Elise couldn't agree more as she remembered how excited he had become when she asked to tag along with them.

"Yeah…it's hard to simply trust easily which is why I hardly ever do so." Elise confessed. "I've been this way for such a long time."

Robin smiled and then shut her book. She fully turned to Elise. "I hope you can realize how trustworthy we really are. If we weren't, the Marines would have already been here by now."

"That's true."

"So have a little faith and please feel as comfortable as possible. I felt the same way too a while ago." Elise DID feel comfortable but her past prevented her from becoming open and vulnerable.

Suddenly, a large splash of water hit the side of the ship, causing it to rock back and forth furiously. Nami rushed out of the room, and Sanji came out of the kitchen, wondering what had happened. Behind them was a large ship, speedily heading towards them.

"Straw Hat Pirates!" a man wearing a striped bandanna called out. The ship had now reached the Going Merry, and the two were side by side.

Luffy and his crew, along with Elise, looked over at them.

"This is definitely them!" another man yelled as he pulled a stack of wanted posters from his belt. He browsed through and pulled out two of the posters, "Monkey D. Luffy…100 million beli and Roronoa Zoro…60 million beli!" He showed the posters to the other men on the ship.

"That's a total of 160 million for the crew if we bring their heads to the Marines!" another man bellowed and laughed haughtily.

"Oi, aren't there five members of the crew? There are seven on board!" the man with the striped bandanna asked the man carrying the posters. The man counted and was indeed confused as to the increase of members.

"Who are those two?" he looked at Robin and Asmara. Scanning through the posters, he found them. His hands shook as his jaw dropped. _N-no..way…_

"We're here for your bounty! Surrender, Straw Hat Pirates!" they shouted, raising their weapons in the air.

"No way! We'll kick your asses!" Luffy bellowed as he stood on the railing of the ship. He cracked his knuckles, readying himself. "Zoro. Sanji." Luffy he called them. The two stood beside him, ready as well.

"Nami-san, Robin-chan, Asmara-chan, stand back. I'll protect you three." Sanji looked to them as he lit his cigarette and blew a few puffs.

"You're no match for us, Straw Hats! Ha ha ha!" the man with the striped bandanna pulled out his sword. 300 total bounty hunters emerged from the bottom deck, their weapons on display. They were yelling and shouting, ready to fight and claim the prize money from the Straw Hats. As the last man emerged, all fell quiet. The large muscular man with tanned skin wore a dark blue bandanna over his black dreadlocks. He had a long black beard as well with an earring on his left ear. Wearing a brown tunic, slacks, and boots, he stood of the crowd, facing the pirates.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Straw Hat Pirates." He grinned widely. "We are the Bradley Bounty Hunters and your heads will make us nice and rich." He smiled devilishly.

"Boss, boss!" The man with the wanted posters ran to him, still shaking. He showed the wanted posters to him. Bradley's eyes widened in shock and then he laughed haughtily.

"Look at this! Besides the bounty for Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro…" he looked from the three to Robin and Elise, "we also have our government runaways: Nico Robin with a bounty of 79 million and Asmara with a bounty of 300 million." He licked his lips as he thought of the total amount of money he would receive.

"Good work, Sai," the man with the striped bandanna told the other man who was still shaking.

"What a lucky day for the Bradley Bounty Hunters!" Bradley roared. His bounty hunters agreed with him as they yelled as well. "Bring me their heads!"

"YEAHHHHH!" the 300 men shouted as they jumped on board the Going Merry. Their ship had been close enough for the attack.

"Ahh!" Usopp screamed as he ran and hid in the helm.

"Rumble ball – Guard Point!" Chopper bit into a small yellow ball, transforming into a large ball of fur and blocked the attacks of the oncoming hunters.

"Rubber Rubber Gatling Gun!" Luffy yelled as he rapidly punched multiple enemies boarding the ship, sending them overboard. Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Robin were also helping to defend the ship and themselves from the bounty hunters. Asmara began to back away slowly as more hunters came onboard. _What should I do? I don't have my weapon and I refuse to use IT! _She was torn between her thoughts as she froze in front of the helm. Four men had crept behind her, raising their weapons above her head to attack. They shouted, striking down their weapons to hit her.

"Gunpowder Star!" Usopp cried from behind the helm as he aimed his projectiles at the men, causing explosions and knocking them to the ground.

"Thanks Usopp!" Asmara smiled at the long-nosed sniper who was still shaking in fear. He continued his assault on the hunters with a variety of different arsenal such as eggs and tabasco stars. Asmara reluctantly watched the fight, seeing how hard everyone else was fighting.

"I…have to fight." She told herself. She was without her fan but she very well could fight without the need of it. It was just that she didn't want to resort to using her Devil Fruit abilities. She decided it was time to fight back. As much as she hated it, the Straw Hats needed her help as more hunters were piling on the ship.

"Eight Flowers!" Robin shouted with her hands in an x formation. Eight arms grew from the backs from the eight hunters in front of her. The arms wrapped around their necks and bent them backwards as she yelled, 'Clutch!'

Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro had made their way onto the ship of the bounty hunters, preventing a large amount of them to board the Going Merry. Robin, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper helped hold off the rest of the hunters on their ship.

In a handstand, Sanji delivered kicks upward as he spun around rapidly. "Fried Assortment!" He sent the hunters upward in the air and into the sea below them. He continued his assault on the rest of the hunters, blocking their blows with only his legs and kicking them endlessly in their stomachs, heads, and other parts of their bodies.

Zoro had fastened his bandanna, as all three of his katana had been unsheathed. His legs were far apart with a sword in each of his hands with his arms crossed. His third sword was placed in his mouth. Charging towards the assailants, he yelled "Oni Giri!" as he uncrossed his hands, slashing them and watching them fall. Many of the hunters attacked him with swords but he dodged and slashed them, swiftly reducing the number of the bounty hunters to less than half.

Bullets were fired at Luffy however due to his rubber abilities, the bullets bounced back at the assailants. "Rubber Rubber Balloon!" He stretched his body, attacking the men and sending them flying.

A large dark cloud had appeared above a handful of hunters on the Going Merry. It hovered over them, growing larger and larger. Nami smirked as she said "Thunderbolt Tempo!" causing lightning to shoot down and electrocute the men. The number of hunters started diminishing bit-by-bit, irritating Bradley. As Zoro fought through, snipers hidden near the helm of the bounty ship shot straight at him while his back was turned as he faced more bounty hunters.

Without thinking, Asmara yelled. "Zoro!" She stood in front of him and stopped the bullets with a wave of her hand.

"She's a Devil Fruit user!" Bradley shouted at the men. Asmara clenched her fist, annoyed that she used her ability. However, she ignored Bradley as she swiftly ran, disappearing in the blink of an eye, and reappeared in front of the snipers, delivering blows to the side of their necks. They dropped their guns and fell on the floor, unconscious. The men continued to shoot at her but the bullets simply went through her. She returned to where Zoro was as he sent more men flying with his Tatsu Maki move.

"Thanks." He muttered with the hilt of his sword in his mouth. "Even though I could've handled it."

"Right." Asmara replied as she ran through the crowd, punching them and knocking them to the ground. She was hard to locate due to her agility. _She's fast…_Zoro glanced at her movements as he also continued to fight.

"Sink their ship!" Bradley roared, irritated and annoyed at his men. He wanted their heads, especially Asmara's, whose bounty was beyond belief. At the lower deck of the Bradley ship, cannonballs were fired. Asmara swiftly ran and disappeared as she jumped off the Bradley ship.

"Asmara!" Nami called, afraid she'd fall into the water. Asmara appeared mid-air next to a cannonball and murmured, "Crumble," as she slammed her side of her fist straight down. The balls shattered and exploded into the air as she continued to destroy each cannonball aimed at the Going Merry. Afterwards, she gracefully landed on her two feet on the deck of Bradley's ship, watching the astounded faces of the bounty hunters, and joined Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro.

"Fifty Flowers!" Robin shouted as her arms immobilized the men operating the cannonballs and bent their limbs and necks backwards, preventing any more shots.

"Awesome job, Asmara!" Luffy grinned as he continued pulverizing the bounty hunters. The Straw Hat Pirates defeated the rest of the men, leaving Bradley the only one left standing. Bradley's eyes narrowed, jaw clenched as he roared angrily, pissed off at the situation. The three took a step forward. Asmara followed as well but was stopped by Sanji.

"Asmara-chan," she looked at him as he lit his cigarette. "We can take care of him." She nodded and stepped back, far from the area.

Bradley laughed evilly at Sanji's words. He turned to the red-haired woman. "Hanson Asmara. I've heard a lot about you." Her face scrunched up in disgust. He disappeared and appeared behind her, catching her off guard and grabbing her by the neck and lifting her up. She struggled against his large hands, which were twice the size of her head. She tried wiggling away but failed.

"Oi! Let her go!" Luffy yelled as he punched his torso. Sanji followed suite with a series of kicks to the neck and torso while Zoro slashed him. Bradley dodged them with Asmara still in his hand as he smirked.

"What the Marines would give for your head." He whispered menacingly in her ear as he licked his lips.

"You bastard." Sanji muttered as jumped high in the air and brought his heels straight down onto his head. "Concasse!" Bradley grabbed his leg and swung him back at the Luffy and Zoro.

"This girl defeated two vice admirals at the age of 15 and lived." Bradley muttered. "She's facing a death penalty at Impel Down as we speak!" he laughed again. Asmara's eyes widened as she stopped struggling. "What's this? Surrendering, already? I haven't had my fun with you yet." He grinned as he pulled out a dagger from the inside of his tunic. The blade glittered in the light as he placed it near her neck.

"Asmara!" Nami gasped, her hands to her mouth, horribly disgusted. Even Chopper and Usopp were shocked.

"Asmara, you can escape! Use your abilities!" Chopper tried to call out.

"If you three attack, she dies." Bradley threatened, placing the blade even closer, causing a small trickle of blood to run down her neck to her collarbone. Sanji gritted his teeth, pissed off. _Asshole…._ Asmara started struggling against him, causing cuts on her neck from the dagger.

"Let me go, asshole." She threatened him. She didn't care if she was bleeding. She needed to escape, and she wasn't planning to die at that moment. The dagger next to her neck was made of Kairouseki. She could tell because normally the dagger would not have cut her.

"That dagger is made of Kairouseki." Robin said to everyone. "Asmara is a Logia type and she would not have been cut by that dagger." More tension arose from Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro as they still had not made a move.

Zoro finally acted and charged at him with three swords. Bradley smirked as he stabbed the dagger into her neck. "Asmara NO!" Luffy cried out. Fortunately, Bradley stabbed his dagger into this air. A small mist replaced Asmara's body as it dissipated from his hands and wrapped around his neck. Her body reappeared as she squeezed his neck blocking off his air supply, causing him to drop the dagger.

"How… …" he managed to squeeze out from his lips.

"Unfortunately, your glove is not made of Kairouseki." She murmured, releasing his neck. Her Devil Fruit abilities started to take more control as she started to remove his oxygen supply. However, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji attacked him and knocked him out. Although she escaped, a large incision was made to her neck by the shirt was drenched with blood on her left side as she left, boarding the Going Merry.

"Asmara! Let me treat you!" Chopper ran down to her in his tiny form with his doctor's kit. He wiped the blood and bandaged her up.

"Asmara-chan, you ok? You're bleeding! What a bastard!" Sanji asked her as she sat down on the stairs, lighting his cigarette.

"I'm fine. Thanks for finishing him off." She told the three as she rested her head against her hand. _How did he know about all of that…_

"ASMARAAAAAA!" Luffy called as he rolled on the deck. "YOU WERE SO AWESOMEEE!" he continued.

"So strong…"Usopp said under his breath. He quickly released the sails as Sanji steered the ship, leaving the Bradley ship behind.

_Killing two vice admirals at the age of 15…_Robin thought. _How scary. _

"Ha," She replied, sitting on the deck as Chopper still continued treating her. "Thanks, but it was nothing."

Sanji had begun to cook dinner as he whistled and fell even more in love with Asmara. "She's beautiful, she can fight, and she's smart…" he said. He heard Luffy complain of hunger as he quickly finished cooking and preparing the table.

"The reason I am insistent on my weapon," Asmara began, "was because I absolutely loathe my Devil Fruit ability."

"But why…it's so cool!" Luffy smiled.

"Because I didn't want this ability. I was forced to eat a Devil Fruit…" Asmara frowned, shaking slightly. "…and then I was thrown into the sea." Nami and Robin gasped while Sanji stopped chopping vegetables and Zoro's eyes widened. Chopper and Usopp were also in disbelief. "How cruel is it to force someone to eat THAT and then throw them into the sea, knowing they will drown..." she continued, tearing a little and clenching her hands. The ship fell quiet at her revelation.

Things started to make more sense as Asmara revealed her hatred for the Devil Fruit she had been forced to consume. Zoro remembered the time he was thrown out of the bathroom and when she became angry at Usopp.

"**AHHHH! GET OUT!" The scream erupted throughout the entire Going Merry, alarming all the members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Meanwhile in the bathroom, a rush of air caused Zoro to fly across the storage room and into the wall.**

"**Are you a Devil Fruit user?" **

"…**is this necessary?" She asked him, looking a little irritated. She looked at the others who simply shrugged. Usopp repeated his question again. **

"**I'm getting my weapon fixed – why would I need a weapon if I had Devil Fruit abilities?" she glared at him, intimidating him. However, he continued his interrogation. **

He was definitely interested in her fighting ability. She was one of the stronger females he had seen so far in his lifetime besides Kuina, of course. Her speed had definitely gained his interest. After all, he wanted to be the greatest swordsman in the world and so he needed to be fast in order to rise to the top. He had rested against the mast of the ship, removing his bandanna and closing his eyes.

"My purpose…is to find the man who did this," she motioned with her hands, "and kill him. I didn't kill those vice admirals for fun," she told them. "They would not let me leave the island to search for that wretched man and there was no other option but to fight." She frowned and sighed, lifting her knees to her chest. "Because of that, I'm sentenced to imprisonment in Impel Down…the government's underwater prison." She stared at the floor as no one said a word. Nami, Robin, Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper fell silent, pondering her words. Luffy suddenly stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder. Asmara looked up at his touch and saw his large grin.

"We'll help you find him! We'll protect you!" His determination could be seen through his eyes. Asmara could do nothing but gasp in surprise. Following suite, Nami, Robin, Chopper, and Usopp also agreed, with Sanji, as they promised to help her. Zoro smiled slightly at the predictability of the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. _Looks like I'm in as well. Plus, it's good practice for me._

Asmara clenched her fist and rejected them, causing Zoro's eyes to open. "No! You will all get hurt!" she shouted, straining her neck and causing her cut to hurt. "This isn't your fight…" she explained slightly.

"Asmara…"Nami started. "You need us! Plus, Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro are strong!" she smiled at the red haired woman. Asmara was still reluctant to let them help her, but surrendered. She had seen the power and strength of the crew: physically and emotionally. The bond between the crew members were unlike anything she had ever seen before. It made her feel…hopeful…that maybe someday she would be part of that amazing experience as well. Asmara quickly changed her shirt as Sanji called everyone for dinner. Dinner was more enjoyable that the last few days with Asmara interacting with everyone. She couldn't help but laugh at the dynamic between Sanji and Zoro along with Luffy's antics, which included sticking chopsticks in his nostrils. As the moon replaced the sun, the crew began to get ready for bed. Sanji had already turned in, along with Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp. The women had showered and gone into the room, relaxing.

After Asmara had showered and changed into a nice pair of long pants and a sleeveless shirt, she ventured onto the front deck. The breeze felt nice against her skin as she watched the moon's reflection from the sea. The Going Merry was anchored near a large patch of land, which only contained large rock formations. The ship swayed back and forth slowly with response to the breeze. Asmara heard a slight movement coming from the crow's nest. She curiously investigated, jumping up into the area easily. She was surprised to see Zoro, sitting there and relaxing, next to about 20 bottles of beer.

"What are you looking at?" he asked her, finishing his seventh bottle, as Asmara's face expressed a mixture between astonishment and confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, sitting across from him, keeping some distance between them. _Is he old enough to drink?_

"It's my turn to keep watch." He said, opening and starting his eighth bottle. Asmara acknowledged her understanding with a simple nod as she looked away. She still couldn't completely remove the memory of him seeing her body, and it made her a little uncomfortable sitting across from him in the crow's nest.

"Thank you." Asmara simply said, catching Zoro a little by surprise as he put his bottle down. "For saving me this morning."

"I could say the same to you as well." He looked at her, the bottle still in his hands.

"But you said you could've handled it."

"Yeah but I wouldn't have seen them if you hadn't told me. I was too focused on the men on the ship." He looked at the three swords attached to his hip.

"Ah, well, it was nothing," she turned away again. She didn't know what else to say as he continued drinking his beer. She looked up at the sky for a bit and then decided to go to bed, standing up.

"I'm sorry." She froze in her place, and looked at him. He looked her in the eyes, and then his gaze shifted. The apology was hard for him but he knew it was right. She could tell it was hard for him to admit his mistake; those with great pride tend to. "I wasn't paying attention when I opened that door. It was an accident."

"I know," Asmara flashed him a smile and sat back down as he gave her a beer. "I'm sorry too for that push." Zoro placed his hand on his chest from when the air had sent him flying across the storage room.

"It's ok," he told her as he continued drinking his beer. Asmara placed the mouth of the bottle to her lips and let the cold liquid enter her mouth. She had to ask him a question that had been in the back of her mind.

"Zoro," Asmara started. He looked at her again, acknowledging her. "What did you see when you opened the door? Did you see it?" she asked him. Zoro turned a slight shade of pink as he remembered when he opened the door. He didn't know exactly what she was hinting at but he remembered her pale skin and voluptuous body. He saw her curves from her large breasts to her butt. He then remembered seeing the star shaped scar in between her breasts. His face answered her question. Asmara finished her beer and was on to the next bottle.

"What was that…" Zoro asked her, referring to her scar. Without answering, she lifted and took off her shirt, exposing her bra, and placed it to the side. "W-what are you doing?!" he stammered, shielding her body with his hands.

"That wretched man did this. The man I am after. " Asmara began. The star shaped scar was noticeable against the smoothness of her skin. It was deep and a few shades darker than her skin color. She turned around and placed her hair to one side, exposing her back. The middle of her back also contained the scar, revealing how it occurred. _A weapon pierced through her entire body…either from the back or through the front. _"I would have died if I wasn't saved." She punched the wooden floor beneath her. "Damn it all! He tried to kill me when I was kid…then I found him a few years later and tried to fight him." She lowered her eyes to the floor. "I was foolish thinking I was strong enough at that time. Yet I pursued and was left for dead." Zoro hung on to her every word, as her conviction was as strong as his. They both needed to become strong even though their reasons were different. He understood her; he felt her determination. He respected her desire for greater strength as she continued. Asmara felt her anger grow within her body as flashbacks of her past resurfaced. "I will defeat him. I'll kill him for doing this to me, and killing my family. I'm not going to Impel Down until he dies." She realized she was getting carried away and calmed down, finishing her second beer. _I almost lost control again._

"Luffy and everyone plan to help you find him," Zoro replied. "Once he sets his mind on a goal, he completes it. Even if you refuse his help." Asmara sighed, looking at him.

"I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me." She simply stated.

"Don't worry about us," Zoro smirked, "We're strong." Asmara doubted him slightly however decided to surrender. There was no way of changing anyone's minds now. It had been decided by Luffy and that was that.

"I guess...I can't believe you saw me naked."

"Oi! Why'd you change the subject?!" Zoro shouted, embarrassed again.

"No reason," she simply stated.

"P-put your shirt back on!" Zoro stammered again, realizing the situation he was in. If someone has awakened and noticed he was with Asmara, who was SHIRTLESS, he would not hear the end of it…especially from Sanji. Asmara put her shirt back on and stood up, ready to leave.

"Zoro," she looked back at him, "thanks for saving me and understanding me tonight." She smiled as she left the crow's nest and returned back to her bed.

"Huh, what a weird girl," he commented. He replayed the fight with the Bradley bounty hunters. Asmara's movements and power were strong without the use of her weapon or her Devil Fruit abilities. The only times she had used them were to deflect the bullets fired at Zoro and to escape Bradley. "Her foot movements and the way she slammed against the cannonballs were natural techniques. If she used her Devil Fruit abilities regularly, she would be even stronger. I'd like to fight her sometime," he smirked, finishing off the rest of the beers as the night went on.

* * *

After the defeat of the Bradley bounty hunters, the trip to Kura Island was peaceful. Asmara helped each of the members of the Straw Hats in order to pay for their helpfulness and to avoid boredom. She helped Sanji with the dishes and Chopper with grinding different herbs for medicines. She learned the different healing abilities of the herbs, which was a whole new world for her.

"What about flowers, Chopper?" Asmara asked. The two of them were on the deck with the rest of the crewmembers, drying and grinding some herbs. "Do they have healing abilities?" Chopper pulled out a large navy textbook to find his answer.

"This lists most of the flowers which are used as healing remedies," he pointed at the page, "however, this book is a few years old so there may have been more that have been discovered."

"Hm, interesting." Asmara replied, as she remembered the different flowers she came across while working at the flower shop.

"Are you interested in plants and medicine?" Chopper asked, grinning widely, as he continued to grind.

"Well, I worked as a florist a while ago, and always wondered if some of them were useful besides looking pretty."

"Ahhh, most likely!"

"Yeah, I've worked with these flowers at the shop," Asmara pointed to a few rare flowers Chopper had only read about. His eyes gleamed as he became excited.

"These flowers are very rare!" Chopper told her. _If I could get these flowers, it would help tremendously with my medicine. _"Asmara, where was the flower shop you worked at?"

"Kura Island."

"What?! Kura Island?!" Chopper's jaw dropped as he realized that was the place they were headed as well. Her response also received the attention of everyone on the ship as they ceased their current activities.

"Yeah, I used to live there." She nodded and then realized she never told them that bit of information.

"So that's how you know how to get there!" Nami exclaimed, "You should have told us sooner!"

"I forgot, actually." Asmara replied. "I haven't been back in 8 years, and I wasn't planning on returning. But my fan was in terrible shape."

"Wait," Usopp interceded. "You told me your hometown was Floreceria."

"Yeah it was, but that man killed my family and threw me into the ocean." Asmara replied. _I'm not making any sense to them_, she thought as the looks on their faces explained it all. She decided it was time to tell them the story of her past; the same past she had vowed to never return to. However, here she was, retelling her haunting story.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hello everyone, thank you for reading this story and reviewing, adding it to your favorites, and following it! In case anyone forgets, I do not own any of the characters of One Piece.

As a side note, the situations in this story will definitely become more mature: language, sex, violence, etc and so I will be warning everyone in advance when certain mature situations arise which can make one feel uncomfortable. So far, nothing too bad is in this chapter- enjoy!

Chapter 4

"I guess I should start from the beginning then, right?" Asmara suggested to the confused looks plastered on the faces of the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Robin listened intently as Asmara began, sitting on the deck of the Going Merry. "Forgive me if I forget some parts…a lot of the things that have happened have been locked away."

_The start of my childhood began with the best pair of parents possible, Hanson Blaize and Adelle. They were the greatest people alive. Father was handsome with short brown hair and bright blue eyes while mother was blonde with blue eyes as well. She and father contrasted greatly in personality and appearance. Father was rugged and muscular, but he was a kind and gentle soul. Mother was small and thin, but she was strict with certain things in the house. Their love for each other and for me was one thing they never disagreed on. _

A genuinely warm and large smile grew on Asmara's face at the mention of her parents as she hugged her knees to her chest. These were the memories she had always wanted to keep with her unlike other parts of her past.

_We were a middle class family where mother would stay at home and take care of the farm while my father went to work. He was a fisherman by the day. He always caught the largest and freshest seafood, selling his catch within a few hours. During the evenings, he was a blacksmith, forging new weapons requested by customers as well as repairing weapons. Many sailors and pirates came to the island, in search of a blacksmith. Since our town contained quite a few of the docks and ports, we received many of these people, which helped the businesses like my father's. We were able to live comfortably because of his hard work. Eventually, my grandparents lived with us, making the house a lot livelier. I could honestly say that the love and support from my family was, and IS, irreplaceable. Even though we didn't have as much as other people, I've never been happier. _

_Many of the pirates that have entered our town did their business and left, whether it was buying supplies or weapons, most of them didn't cause trouble to the townsfolk because of the World Government flag placed at the entrances of our towns. World Government officials protected the people and the businesses in our town. No pirate would want to mess with those officials – these included the Admirals and Vice Admirals, of course. _

Asmara's features grew stern and serious as she began the next phase of her past. She sat up, tense, as she intensely looked forward.

_One day, a large group of pirates had entered our town. They were a loud and rowdy bunch and entered a number of shops in search of a "treasure". Or some kind of treasure map. I really wasn't sure. Unfortunately, no one really knew what he was talking about. This was a simple town, which flourished from local businesses. If there were a treasure, the town would be a lot richer. Each owner from each shop that these pirates visited failed to answer the pirate's demands, which made him angrier and angrier. It was around a quarter to midnight when my father arrived back home from the blacksmith shop. Mother was already asleep but I always waited until Father arrived home. I could tell it was an exceptionally exhausting day from the frequent sighs and yawns Father produced as he entered the door. He placed his bags on the kitchen floor and kissed my cheek. I asked him what the matter was, and he mentioned the group of pirates demanding forging of over 100 weapons in 4 hours. _

"_At least I completed them," he smiled and then yawned again. "It's bed time, little Asmara." He carried me up the stairs and into the room, where we all slept: Mother, Father, Grandma, and Grandpa. The other rooms were in the process of being built so sharing a room was our only option at the time. So Father tucked me in the mattress and kissed my forehead. I smiled and said, "I love you, Father."_

"_I love you too. Always." He smiled and slept next to Mother's thin figure within the sheets. I turned to the other side and tried to sleep, however, something in my gut was preventing me from doing so. The moonlight entered in from a slit in the window curtain, providing some kind of light in the room. I looked around to see everyone sound asleep. I shut my eyes again, but still could not sleep. _

_Then, I heard low voices followed by a loud thud. The front door had been broken down and had awakened Father, Mother, and my grandparents. Father quickly looked around the room to find a weapon. The room we were in contained most of our belongings as the renovations took place for our own separate rooms. Father searched in boxes and drawers, and finally found a sword. It was probably one of his clients'. Mother held onto me, shielding me with her body. I didn't know what to do – I just let her hold me while I heard the sounds and voices grow louder with each passing second. My grandparents had also protected me as well as they hid in the corner of the house. _

"_Adelle." Father called Mother by her first name, his eyes signaling some kind of message to her. Mother simply nodded, understanding his gesture completely as she grasped me tightly in her arms. I could smell the faint scent of the perfume she had always worn: lilies. I heard the voices fade slightly as they broke in to the other rooms. _

"_Search everywhere. They have to be here." A deep and rugged voice bellowed. As the footsteps became louder, I could feel Mother's thin fingers clench onto the sleeves of my pajamas. She had been shaking when she had woken up, but now she was firmly holding me. Her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw clenched as she awaited the intruders along with my father, who had raised the sword towards the door. _

_With one kick, the door to our room crashed loudly. Many of the intruders began to pile in, surrounding us within minutes of entering, carrying their weapons. The last person to enter was clearly their leader. _

_Although it was well past midnight, the light from the moon let us see who our intruders were. They were the same loud pirates who had come into town in search of the treasure. _

"_You! What do you want? I've already fixed your weapons!" Father replied, slightly lowering the sword. "Why have you come here?" he suddenly raised it again. These were the pirates that had come into his shop!_

_The man laughed slightly, his teeth shining in the pale moonlight. He had very distinct features, those I would never, ever forget. His dark brown, pin straight, shoulder length hair was tied in a ponytail as he wore gold dangling earrings in each ear. His amber eyes scanned the entire room and glistened at the situation he had created. There were two large scars, forming an X, across his right eye. He was lean and wore a simple tunic with a dark red sash for a belt. A gun and a sword were fastened on his left hip by that red sash. His pants and boots were just as simple however the sound of his footsteps was distinct. _

"_So it is you." His amber eyes fell onto Father. He began to unsheathe his sword, murderous intent evident in his eyes. "I was told you would know where the treasure is." _

"_I..I don't know of any treasure!" Father protested, gripping the sword tighter in his palms. _

"_What about a map, hm?" he asked again, raising the sword above Father's head. _

"_We don't know any of that!" Mother screamed, causing the pirates and the leader to face her. "We don't know what you're talking about…" she teared, "just please, leave us be." Father kneeled by her side, sword still in hand, as he also pleaded to them. My grandparents were also bowing their heads as well, asking for mercy, while I was still frozen. My body could not move even though I tried willing it numerous times. I couldn't even cry. _

"_Hm…" the leader replied, returning his sword to its sheath. He turned his back towards us and headed out of the room. However, at the doorway, he looked back at us, straight into my eyes, and said, "Kill them." _

Asmara punched the side of the ship as she clenched her jaw and fists, cursing aloud.

_The surrounding pirates grinned maliciously as they pulled out their swords and guns, ready to obey their captain's commands. They approached my family and myself, licking their lips, their eyes filled with an insatiable bloodlust. _

_I was scared out of my mind. My mother and grandparents clung to me tighter and tighter, screaming and pleading at them to spare me while Father stood in front of us ready to fight. One of the men had raised his weapon, ready to strike, when all of a sudden the captain's voice disrupted their movements. _

"_Wait." He said, appearing at the doorway. He eyed me curiously and then smirked. "Save the child. I'll be waiting outside." He then disappeared into the shadows. _

_The men killed my family in less than a minute without any hesitation. I had completely blocked reality from settling in as this occurred. My family's dying words and their screams repeated over and over inside my head. _

"_As long as you're safe, then it's all right." Father had said last with a smile on his face, bludgeoned to death with hammers. _

"_We love you, Asmara. Stay alive and take care." Mother whispered to me as a sword slit her throat. _

"_We love you, Asmara." My grandparents smiled as they were shot twice: through the forehead and through the heart. _

Asmara's violet eyes had faded slightly as she was in another world, completely. Tears had formed at the corner of her eyes and had continuously streamed down her cheeks and dropping onto her pants, soaking them. Her voice was soft and monotone while she hugged her knees to her chest again. Her words and actions were now different compared to her previous actions and emotions.

The Straw Hat Pirates could not console her at this time. She continued her story, still lost in the memories of her past.

_His men didn't stop there though. Once everyone had died, they still continued pulverizing their bodies, turning the room red with blood. The moment my family had died, time had stopped. When I had come to, I was in a pirate ship – HIS pirate ship, probably in one of the lower decks. I could hear the men laugh heartily, chatting relentlessly. _

"_Oh good, you're awake." The pirate guarding me smirked as he climbed the stairs to alert the others. He then brought me up to them, in front of that wretched man and his crew. The ship was moving against turbulent seas as I tried to steady myself on the way to him, hands bound with a coarse rope. _

_As I knelt in front of him, I swore that I would take revenge for my family. I will kill him no matter what it takes. He then forced me to look at him, and so I did, with a look that could kill. He simply laughed at me._

"_Listen, I need to know where the treasure is. Or any information leading to it." He simply stated, staring at me. "I'm sure your parents have told you that information." He acted like I knew something he did, but in reality, I didn't. I didn't know what he was talking about at all. _

"_I don't know what you're talking about. I'm telling the truth too," I told him. "I'm sorry."_

"_Hm, your parents lied and now you too, huh? Damn, this whole Hanson family has really…tested me." He lowered his voice as he brought forth a large, weird looking fruit. It was similar to the shape of a pineapple but it had light and dark blue spirals. He cut it with a knife and fed the piece to me, his men forcing my mouth open as I tried to refuse and struggle._

_The fruit tasted like sour custard and made my stomach churn. The taste was stuck in my mouth, and I tried to spit the remaining fruit out, however it was too late. _

"_What was that?!" I shouted at him. He simply smiled as he put the fruit away. _

"_That is a Devil's Fruit." He replied. I froze in fear. I knew what Devil Fruits were after hearing talk throughout the town. They were rare fruits that would grant the user who ate it a certain ability. However, these people who had eaten the fruits were unable to swim and would sink to the bottom of the sea. _

"_No…" I murmured._

"_Throw her into the sea." He commanded as the pirates picked me up with ease and threw me aboard. The cold water engulfed me within seconds and I felt my energy slowly drain from my body. As I sank deeper and deeper, I felt tired and in dire need of a nap. I was 4 years old when all of this occurred. _

The Straw Hats' reactions were varied as they heard the cruelty of this pirate. Nami and Chopper had gasped while Sanji had clenched his jaw and fists, smoking his cigarette furiously. Usopp didn't know what to feel since he wanted revenge on this man too but his knees were shaking too violently. Robin was calm and conserved at this revelation but deep down, she too believed this man was cruel, and Asmara's revenge was acceptable. It was the reactions of Luffy and Zoro, which were the most surprising. As everyone had expressed signs of shock, dismay or anger, the two pirates were calm, similar to Robin, but their eyes showed amusement. They both thought that fighting this pirate and his crew would be a fun experience and had already committed to helping her find this man even though they were only supposed to drop her off to Kura Island.

_The bright sun shone on my face as I slowly woke up. I was surprised to still be alive as I sat up and looked at my surroundings. I was in an unfamiliar household. This would later become my new home for the time being. A slightly elderly couple lived in the house by name of Anton Nicolas and Aurora. They reminded me of my late grandparents, and treated me like one of their own. I later found out I was saved by a deep-sea fisherman who had seen my body sinking deeper into the sea as he came up to take a breath. The man had caught my body and brought me back to the surface amongst the turbulent waves as the pirate ship had disappeared. He then had given me to the Antons, who had gladly taken me in. The Antons raised me as their own in Floreceria, enrolling me into school and providing me with the best care possible._

_My Devil Fruit abilities began to show in times of extreme emotions. Whenever I was angry or frustrated, a tornado or hurricane would come out of nowhere outside of the house. I had eaten the Kuuki Kuuki no Mi (Air Air Fruit) after doing much research. Knowing I had these abilities bothered me and so I swore to never, ever use them. Using them would only remind me of that awful pirate crew. _

_One night, I had overheard the deep-sea fisherman, Kai, a friend of the Antons, identify the pirates. They were the Blitzkrieg Pirates, led by Captain Blitzkrieg Zero. I had also heard of what happened to my town after I was kidnapped. Apparently, the entire town was killed and burned to the ground. Overhearing this, I decided to train and fight to avenge my family and my town's deaths. _

_After school, I would practice my punches and kicks on logs, stumps, and tree trunks deep in the forest. I never hung out with the other children. I didn't train my Devil Fruit abilities at all, and solely trained on my physical strength. _

_Six years later at the age of 10, I had heard the Blitzkrieg Pirates had entered the nearby town, searching for the same treasure from before. In the middle of the night, I foolishly invaded their ship and attacked Zero, who had knocked me straight to the ground. _

Asmara looked steadily at the wooden floor, clenching her fist. She had come back to reality, drying her tears, and tried to recollect the memories she desperately had tried to hide.

_My punches and kicks were nothing compared to his strength. He kicked me around as if I was a rag doll. I was immensely furious which manifested into my Devil Fruit abilities. I didn't know what I was doing at the moment, but he was choking, desperate for air. I was almost there; I was ready for his death until one of his men hurled a spear behind me. The spear had pierced through the middle of the back and through my breastbone. The sudden pain and shock of the weapon through my body seceded my actions as I fell to the floor, a pool of blood surrounding me. I was disappointed in myself for being unable to kill him and for using the Devil Fruit ability on him. All I could see was blood on the floor as I began to feel cold and tired. _

"I honestly thought I was dead." Asmara replied, placing her hand on the scar. "They left me to die in my blood."

_Through a miracle, I was saved once again, however, I never found out who had saved me that day. The mysterious person brought me back to the Antons, and the town doctor had helped heal me._

_When I recovered, I told the Antons I was leaving. I would eventually exact my revenge on them, but I needed to become stronger. I needed to be able to fight and hold my own. They put up a fight at first, but eventually let me, knowing that I was destined to do this. I had gained a lead on the next place the Blitzkrieg Pirates would be, and that was Kura Island. I, unfortunately, didn't know how to sail at the time so I hitched a ride with fellow travelers going the same way. _

_When I arrived at Kura Island, I entered the town of Fiore, and awaited them. The pirates never arrived which angered me, but saved me at the same time. I needed money in order to continue to chase the Blitzkrieg Pirates, and so I needed a job. A woman named Lily had needed help with her flower shop. So I became her helper for the next five years, earning and saving up my money. _

_During the five years in Fiore, I encountered Master Shi Ren Tsui, who trained me for three years. His training had helped me become the fighter I am now, and I owe him everything. I left Fiore and Kura Island when I was 15, after I had finished my training._

_A few months later, at one of the islands, I encountered the two vice admirals Alexander Smith and Frances LeCroix. They were fierce and strong. They told me I could not leave the island, and I told them I was searching for Zero. Unfortunately, they didn't listen, and we fought for hours and hours on end. I still refused using my Devil Fruit abilities, but the abilities had become developed through Master Shi Ren's training. I killed the two vice admirals the same way I choked Zero: I removed the oxygen from his body. I couldn't control this ability from the start and not even with the training and so I fled the scene after their deaths. _

_I was on the run for a year until the Marines stopped chasing me. I was impatient and took a ship, sailing to the next island. Because I dropped my guard, Commodore Louis and his marines had cornered me, where I was forced to use my Devil Fruit abilities. Again, they angered me…especially when they said I was to be sent to Impel Down. They called me trash and talked down on me. What I did was an accident, but those Marines never hear another opinion. I did the same thing again and killed them all. _

"There were some minor scuffles here and there which made my steel fan become damaged and so I returned to Kura Island, specifically in Fiore, to have it repaired. Master Shi Ren's associates are very well trained in repairing of almost any weapon imaginable. And so that was what happened." Asmara stated the last part quite quickly.

The Straw Hat Pirates were in shock with the vast amount of knowledge and information they had just learned. Luffy and Zoro were still trying to absorb everything since all they could think about was fighting, however, the rest of the crew had understood her troubling past.

"What he did was a terrible thing, Asmara," Nami frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You have every right to exact revenge." She understood her because her situation was similar. Arlong had killed Bellemere and taken over her village. All Nami wanted was revenge as well.

"Asmara-chaaaan!" Sanji called out to her and quickly appeared to her side. "You've been in so many obstacles! I will personally get rid of those pirates for hurting you. No one ever hurts a lady!" he puffed on his cigarette. He offered her a shoulder massage, however, Asmara refused politely.

"I can't believe there are truly cruel pirates like this," Chopper, who was next to Robin, replied. _I'm so glad Luffy is nothing like that man!_

"Impel Down…." Robin gasped, slightly sweating, "the underwater prison located in Enies Lobby. No one has ever broken in or escaped from there…" _To be sentenced to such a place is absolutely cruel. _

Luffy's eyes darkened slightly under his Straw Hat. "Zoro," he called out to the swordsman.

"Yeah?" he smirked. They both had thought of the same idea.

"We're gonna fight the Blitzkrieg Pirates and help Asmara!" Luffy yelled, raising his left arm in the air and standing on the ledge of the ship. Usopp shrieked at what Luffy had announced and held onto the Sanji while his knees shook violently.

"Wait! No!" Asmara refused, furrowing her eyebrows and standing up. She faced Luffy and pointed a finger at him. "There's no way I'm letting you and your crew face this danger. All I asked was to get dropped off. Once you do that, you can go on your way to wherever to do whatever. Just leave this to me." Her mouth formed a line. Unfortunately, Luffy had tuned her out and was humming happily with a large grin on his face, as he returned to sitting on his special seat.

"Asmara…" Nami sighed, putting away the map she had in hand, "once Luffy has decided on something, he never changes his mind."

"Ugh..." Asmara slapped her forehead, slightly irritated. She was grateful for their kindness so she had to endure the trip for a few more days. Once she had entered the island, she would disappear in order to prevent them from endangering their lives.

* * *

"Night duty again?" Asmara called out to Zoro who was in the crow's nest again, chugging away at his beers.

"Yeah." He said, holding two bottles in his hand while sitting on the wooden floor. "Why are you here?" he managed to say before drinking the contents of the bottles. She had welcomed herself into the crow's nest and sat across from him.

Lunch and dinner was still merry and delicious as ever. Asmara truly enjoyed the company of the Straw Hats, and enjoyed the scuffles between Sanji and Zoro. She learned all about them during the trip; She especially learned of their dreams.

_Nami wants to draw a map of the world... Usopp wants to be a brave warrior of the sea… Sanji wants to find All-Blue... Robin wants to find the Rio Poneglyph and learn about the history of the world…Chopper wants to cure every disease…Zoro wants to be the best swordsman in the world…And Luffy wants to be King of the Pirates and find One Piece…what wonderful aspirations. These aspirations are filled with meaning and purpose. _

Asmara bowed her head slightly. "Please…" she pleaded in a soft voice. "Don't risk your lives for me. You all have these wonderful aspirations and have nothing to lose. Tell Luffy to turn back." She lowered her head even more. Zoro stopped drinking and placed the bottles on the floor.

"Luffy won't change his mind. He's as stubborn as a rock," Zoro replied, "plus, he won't abandon a friend. He considers you an important friend and will do everything he can to help you. We all will." Zoro smiled genuinely. Asmara didn't say anything but nodded her head slightly.

"Thanks."

* * *

This was Asmara's last full day before entering Kura Island. She was excited to finally reach land and to see the town of Fiore once more. She had given much thought to Zoro's words from the previous night. This was the first time she truly believed what he said, and what Luffy planned to do. Deep inside, she wanted to enjoy more of the Straw Hats.

"I don't understand why you won't use your Devil Fruit Abilties…" Luffy complained and whined to Asmara.

"Because, if I use them, it's like I'm thanking Zero for giving them to me…" Asmara frowned, trying to erase the image of his face.

"Can you use your abilities now to give me a nice breeze? It's kinda hot right now!" Luffy was lying on the deck with his tongue out, looking miserable.

"No way!" Asmara replied. "I'll get you a glass of water." Luffy murmured "thanks" as she went into the kitchen.

"Asmara-chann!" Sanji greeted her with a large smile with hearts in his eyes. "You look wonderful today!" Asmara smiled politely, refusing his compliment, as she asked him for a glass of water for Luffy. She wasn't wearing anything THAT great. Due to the intense heat, she changed into short shorts and loose sheer top that slouched on one elbow. She wore a cami underneath in order to cover her bra and scar.

"I'll help you dry and put away the dishes after I give this to Luffy," she said, running out of the kitchen before Sanji had a chance to reject her offer. Asmara came back to the kitchen and took out a clean rag to dry the dishes.

"Asmara-chan, please don't," Sanji begged her. "Ladies shouldn't be exerting themselves,"

"Oh nonsense." Asmara replied, picking up a few plates and drying them. "I think Robin and Nami would like a snack or something." She suggested, knowing that would keep him occupied for a bit.

"Nami-san! Robin-chan! I have a snack for my angels!" Sanji sang melodiously, rushing to their sides. Asmara simply giggled as she picked up another plate, dried it, and placed it in the cupboard. Due to her height, she had to stand on the counter top in order to place the dishes on the top shelf. She didn't care much about these chores as she was thinking of other things such as training. Deep in thought, she didn't notice Zoro entering the kitchen.

"Oi, what are you doing?" he asked her, puzzled, as he saw the scene. The short red haired girl was standing on the counter, drying dishes and placing them on the shelf. _Oh my god, she's so short. _Zoro had to walk past her to get to the fridge.

"Oh, hello." Asmara finally greeted, looking slightly behind her, as Zoro opened the fridge, looking for a beer. Asmara continued drying and stood up to place a couple of dishes on the shelf. She moved to the left side to let Zoro have some room to grab his beer. However, as she moved her feet to the left, she accidentally stepped on a puddle of water on the counter near the sink, causing her feet to lose traction. Asmara's foot slipped, throwing her off balance and off the counter, into the air.

"Yahhh!" was all she could shout as she lost hold of the plates and fell into Zoro's strong arms, looking up, and meeting his face.


End file.
